Urban Rail Transit DOI 10.1007/s40864-016-0036-y http://www.urt.cn/ ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS Challenges and Innovative Solutions in Urban Rail Transit Network Operations and Management: China’s Guangzhou Metro Experience 1 1 1 Lin He • Qiangsheng Liang • Siyuan Fang Received: 16 December 2015 / Revised: 10 April 2016 / Accepted: 13 April 2016 Ó The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Urban rail transit operations have changed from safety assessment system and equipment quality index a single line to a multiline network. The network opera- model, strengthening quality controls for security and tions have undergone quantitative and qualitative changes, equipment, extensively using information technology to and operations management is facing rapid internal and ensure the health of the urban mass transit network external changes. Using the Guangzhou Metro network operation, and implementing sustainable development operation practices as a case study, this paper first sys- measures. tematically analyzes the features of the operation scale, the proportion of urban mass transit, the surge in public Keywords Urban rail transit Á Network operations Á demand, the security of the operational service capacity, Innovation systems and mechanisms Á Passenger flow reforms to the operation governance structure, the high- forecasting Á Transport organization optimization Á Safety speed expansion of staff, and the development of knowl- and emergency systems Á Operating information Á Lean edge and skills in urban mass transit networks. The paper management Á Knowledge inheritance Á Guangzhou metro then proposes several responses to the challenges that such networks face; for example, this paper proposes creating an innovative network operations management system, 1 Characteristics of Network Operations strengthening the management foundation, creating plans to promote operation capacity, enhancing security risk Currently, there are a variety of definitions and interpre- management and equipment quality management, devel- tations of urban transit network operations based on the oping a crisis public relations response, and applying number of open lines, the total route mileage, or the pas- information technology. In addition, this paper systemati- senger volume. These different standards reflect certain cally describes countermeasures for multiline network operational characteristics, but more comprehensive mea- operations, such as developing a management mechanism sures are necessary to meet specific requirements in dif- for network operations, actively cultivating staff skills, ferent cities. Usually, the following three characteristics of creating innovative transport organization models to operations are considered as network operation: enhance operational capacity, establishing a production service assessment system to continuously improve the 1. Regional coverage With the increasing urban rail level of transportation service, establishing a quantifiable construction, line mileage has increased rapidly to form a basic network-level urban rail system that provides preliminary connectivity and mobility in & Qiangsheng Liang major areas of some cities in China. [email protected] 2. Station location Optimized transit station location could provide high accessibility with a wide coverage 1 Guangzhou Metro Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510335, area for travelers, especially in the core areas of cities. China The general preferred coverage diameter should be Editor: Xuesong Zhou limited to within 2 km. 123 Urban Rail Transit 3. Percentage of urban rail transit use among all travel 1.46 million, which is 34 % more than the volume that was modes Rail transit has been a major travel mode in forecast for 2017 (1.09 million). This unexpected fore- urban areas. Its use among all modes of travel has casting underestimation presents great challenges for the reached more than 30 % and has been over 50 % in stability and reliability of urban rail transit operations and some urban core areas [1–5]. management [9, 10]. 2.3 Old Management Systems Could not Satisfy 2 Challenges of Network Operations Increased Network-Level Operations The scale of rail lines in some urban rail companies has The existing management systems can barely meet the new changed from a single line to a network with multiple lines. requirements of network-level transit operation. One main In future, more companies will face the challenges of reason for this mismatch is that rail system’s service cov- network-level operations. How to address those large travel erage area has undergone great changes and now covers demands and improve service quality and efficiency is an from the core area of the cities and the suburbs, extending important issue. to satellite cities. The old management mechanism has shown strain in addressing such large-scale rail transit 2.1 Increasing Public Travel Demand Leads operations and management. The other reason is the low to Great Challenges to Operations efficiency of detailed job specialization in light of large- and Management scale operations that require quick responses. In traditional management mode, the division of labor is based on With the ongoing large-scale urban rail construction, the specific job responsibilities, and the station service accessibility of urban rail has undergone obvious department and the equipment maintenance department are improvements. Because of its advantages in safety, punc- generally separated. Furthermore, the equipment mainte- tuality and speed, urban rail transit has become an indis- nance department is divided into smaller professional pensable mode of travel. As a result, citizens have divisions (e.g., the rail track, rolling stock, power supply, increased their demands for higher-quality service. In communication, auto fare collection system (AFC), and addition, network-level rail operations require more robust electronic departments). This type of division is beneficial control because challenges along one small part of the line in the early stages of a single-line operation. However, can have a widespread impact on the whole transit net- network-level operations require more collaboration among work. In addition, the increased concern among travels different divisions, a higher response rate, and a wider means that a small operations error can attract a great deal management region, and a more efficient and comprehen- of public attention, and the negative impacts can be mag- sive management system is imperative [11, 12]. nified by internet exposure or cell phone networks if issue is not properly addressed in a timely manner [6–8]. 3 Potential Solutions for Network Operations 2.2 Inaccurate Travel-Demand Forecasting Causes and Management Insufficient Supply The problems with and challenges to network operations The existing passenger forecasting method only considers can only be solved by developing new views and actions, travel demands along the single line being planned for an inevitable phase in the development of the urban rail construction. However, in practice, the demand areas of transit industry. new lines within a transit rail network are far greater than those of a single line. The travel demands for new lines interacts with previous demands and potential new 3.1 Innovation of Network Operation Systems demands arising from the opening of new lines, which and Mechanisms makes forecasting the future travel demands of existing lines and future lines extremely difficult. In this study, we Urban rail transit is entering a stage of increased devel- consider Guangzhou Metro as an example. For a long time, opment as a result of changes in productivity- and pro- the average daily passenger volume of Line 1 was steady at duction-related adjustments to network operation approximately 170,000; however, after many new lines conditions. After 3 years of research and planning that opened, the volume increased dramatically to 1.1 million. involved the comparison and analysis of metro operation In 2013, the average daily passenger flow of Line 3 reached systems in domestic and foreign locations, an 123 Urban Rail Transit organizational revolution plan was launched in March 3.1.2 Promoting Service Responsibility Delivered 2013. A new management system has been established that to the Primary-Level Organization uses ‘‘regionalization as the overwhelming majority and specialization as a supplement’’ to replace the previous The principal regional entity must be established and must mode of ‘‘specialization as the overwhelming majority and be responsible to the primary-level organization. The regionalization as a supplement.’’ Four regional operation regional operations center is solely responsible for service centers were established under the Operations Division to delivery. The operations center is responsible for routine facilitate the incorporation of a 520-km line into the net- management within its operation zone, including not only work operations. After 1 year of implementation, this the station service but also all equipment maintenance and management system has demonstrated its ability to meet emergency responses. By optimizing the organizational the network’s needs [13, 14]. structure and combining the station attendant staff with the staff responsible for maintaining passenger interface 3.1.1 Effective Allocation of Operation Management equipment, the two positions will be better coordinated. As Pressure a result, resource sharing and faster response rates will be realized,