Capacity versus Punctuality Assessment Procedures and Accessibility Measures for Rail Networks

The article provides with a review and a practical comparison of capacity and punctuality assessment methodologies; it also identifies and evaluates a manageable and streamlined approach to their estimation for preliminary or large-scale analysis based on consolidated formulations for travel time, delay and utilized capacity. This becomes particularly relevant in the absence of detailed infrastructure and timetable data as we aim at evaluating some fundamental operational and performance indicators. Secondly, these parameters are integrated in an accessibility analysis by rail; the overall outcomes provide a valuable tool for decision makers to identify areas more or less accessible and how/where improvements in infrastructure and levels of service could benefit users.JRC.J.1-Economics of Climate Change, Energy and Transpor