International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The European railway network is undergoing modernization through investments in interoperable and signalling systems such as ETCS. At the same time, the simplification of infrastructure introduces new risks concerning its availability. This paper focuses on the reliability and resilience of the railway system in the face of extraordinary events such as natural disasters, accidents, cyber threats, or planned closures. It highlights how even a small number of outages can completely paralyze the network. The authors explore the railway’s ability to respond swiftly, reroute traffic effectively, and maintain uninterrupted transport. The aim is to ensure that railways can continue to serve as the backbone of the transport system even under crisis conditions.

Regional rail transport is a key part of the transport process, and its importance is growing every year. Suburban rail forms the backbone of the regional transport system and is widely regarded as a sustainable form of mobility with societal benefits. On the other hand, the costs associated with operating rail transport are significant and it is essential to design cost-effective and efficient transport solutions. This paper takes a closer look at the prediction of passenger volumes and the associated options for effective management of regional rail transport when travel demand is known. A practical application is developed in the conditions of suburban rail transport in the vicinity of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. It analyses the available data on transport supply and travel demand of which passengers can be assigned to specific directions and time slots in relation to daily and weekly variations of travel demand. Based on the data provided, a model for assigning passengers with respect to public transport supply was proposed. The prediction is harmonised with local specific conditions. The results obtained were used to design a new operational concept for the suburban railway in the assessed area. On the basis of the data obtained, a modelled composition of vehicle units and frequency of services on individual sections was proposed. An appropriately set capacity of the vehicle units enables a significant reduction of operating costs and leads to an economical and efficient transport solution.

This paper focuses on actual knowledge of the effects of changes in infrastructure on modal split of different transport modes, as well as on knowledge of long-term evolution of modal split in areas with dynamic development of transport systems. Further it focuses on studies on relations between modal split and greenhouse emissions and on studies on social factors influencing travel behaviour. Important part of this article are summarisations of articles about changes of travel behaviour of inhabitants of locations, where was opened new transport infrastructure, with focus on new infrastructure intended for public transport.

This paper deals with passenger railway transport accessibility of the city of Chomutov, Czech Republic. The paper presents a conceptual study of a new transportation hub – the Transferium. Based on the unsuitable accessibility of the existing railway station, the location of a new railway station is proposed. The paper addresses the transport and transit demands of the new railway station in the context of current and future traffic. Furthermore, the urban integration of the new station and the surrounding urban space is proposed, and last but not least, the construction and technical context is presented.

In the Czech Republic, the rail transport market has been liberalized for several years – in addition to public services, commercial services of individual rail carriers operate too. Public services in long-distance rail transport are ordered by the Czech Ministry of Transport. In December 2019, the 10-year contract between Czech Ministry of Transport and Czech Railways will end. The approaching end of this contract was connected with great interest of other rail carriers, which led to the fact, that the Czech Ministry of Transport demanded individual long-distance rail lines in the form of so called “market consultations”. Preparing of the operational performance of individual long-distance rail lines for the needs of market consultations was a great challenge on the field of transport-planning. As a result, from December 2019 there will operate 4 different rail carriers in ordered long-distance rail transport in The Czech Republic and this situation is unique in its form and unparalleled throughout the EU.

For newly introduced transport services, there´s not only the transport aspect that matters what the new service will bring to passengers, but also the operating costs are very important. In this area the systematic timetable planning plays an important role. Total costs of the transport system are significantly affected by the fixed costs, deriving from the number of regular deployed vehicles and drivers, related to the overall transport performance and total operational productivity. Advanced timetable engineering means a strong link between timetables, vehicles and infrastructure. The article demonstrates this approach on the example of the introduction of new express trains Praha – Plzeň – Cheb / München in the timetable 2017/18.