Research on the Influencing Factors of Utilizing Existing Railways to Operate Urban / Suburban Trains

Research purposes: Current state policy favors the development of urban / suburban railways by utilizing existing rail infrastructures. However, the decision - making process for introducing urban / suburban trains on existing rails involves multiple interacting and influencing factors. This paper employs the FISM - MICMAC method to identify the key factors affecting the decision to run urban / suburban trains on existing railways, and analyzes the relationships among these factors. Research conclusions: (1) Existing railway technical standards, capacity utilization rates, construction costs, and operation and maintenance costs are fundamental factors influencing the decision to introduce urban / suburban trains, among which the technical standards of existing railways are the most foundational.(2) Public transportation along existing rail lines, passenger flow direction, passenger flow type, existing station distribution, travel time, and train frequency during peak hours are direct influencing factors for this decision - making. Of these, the type of passenger flow and the train frequency during peak hours have a more direct impact.(3) When the technical standards and capacity of existing railways meet the requirements for running urban / suburban trains, the decision should focus on whether the primary passenger flow is commuter - based and whether trains can be operated like public transit during peak hours.(4) The research findings can be applied to preliminary decision - making for projects related to running urban / suburban trains on existing railways. © 2023 Editorial Department of Journal of Railway Engineering Society. All rights reserved.