Optimization of Feeder Buses Route to Connect High-Speed Railway Stations with Urban Areas

Feeder buses play an important role in supporting the accessibility of high-speed railway stations which leads to the improved efficiency of the transportation system. This paper proposes a new optimization technique for the design of feeder bus routes to the stations. It uses dynamic programming with a pulse algorithm seeking to maximize the number of serviced people considering the distance between the urban areas and high-speed railway station. The proposed algorithm was tested in a hypothetical network to find the optimum solutions and the running time needed. Moreover, the algorithm was applied to a real network as a case study in Aswan city, Egypt. Our results demonstrated significant improvements in the route design accuracy and efficiency. By applying the proposed algorithm, the potential demand values increased from 19.8% to 37.9% with a reasonable decrease in the running time compared to the literature. This research contributes to the advancement of transportation planning strategies by providing valuable insights into the optimization of feeder bus systems. The proposed model contributes to the scientific re-search and practical implementation by promoting a coordinated development of high-speed railway stations and urban areas. This may enhance the Egyptian high-speed railway technology, yielding substantial economic and social benefits.