A demand response to line planning

• The demand response model introduces concepts from economic assessment, namely generalised journey time and/or generalised cost, to the line planning problem. • The model successfully captures the fluctuation in demand due to the level of service offered by the railway planner. • The model supports new railway development by optimising line plans, anticipating future trends and making informed decisions. As a linking factor between supply and demand, line planning is a crucial aspect of long-term railway planning. It aims to create a viable line system that optimises specific objectives by determining stop patterns and service frequencies to meet the predicted passenger demand. In the proposed model, railway operators can choose from different line plan designs based on line planning outcomes. The objective functions include economic objectives, focusing on either cost or capacity. We introduce a model to examine how demand responds to different line plans. This study focuses on stop patterns and service frequencies as the primary factors of line plan-related service quality. The model is intended as a tool for policymaking and evaluating attractiveness through metrics including generalised journey time (GJT) and/or generalised cost. The changes in demand for different line plan designs are simulated using the proposed metrics until equilibrium between the assignment and demand model is reached. This proposed model represents a significant advancement, providing reliable line plans for decision-making. It applies a similar approach commonly used for timetable-related service quality, enhancing railway planning effectiveness. To validate the model, we present a case study of a small-scale future network for Indonesia’s Jakarta-Surabaya semi-high-speed train.