Mail: hsr_group@mit.edu

KEY RESEARCH TOPICS

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Source: Stein (2013)
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HSR as a Complex Sociotechnical System (CSS)
Andrés Archila, Joel Carlson, Maite Peña, and Naomi Stein
Research sponsored by: National University Rail Center (NURail) and Japan International Transport Institute (JITI)

We conduct research on intercity passenger rail in the US, considering both the development of internationally-scaled HSR (Shinkansen, TGV and so forth) as well as incremental HSR, where the same track is used for conventional freight trains as well as passenger trains that run at “higher” (but not international) speeds. We will deal with the application of the CLIOS Process --- developed by Prof. Sussman and his research group at MIT for the purpose of gaining insights into the operation of complex sociotechnical systems --- to HSR in the U.S..

See Sussman et al. (2013) and Sussman et al. (2012) or visit publications

Transportation Productivity Study
Andrés Archila and Ryusuke Sakamoto
Research sponsored by: The Speedwell Foundation and The Shelter Hill Foundation

Human wealth is generated by increases in societal productivity. A nation’s economic prosperity depends heavily on the efficiency and effectiveness of its transportation infrastructure. Improvements in transportation productivity have helped fuel U.S. economic growth and wealth. With a focus on the NEC, this project analyses the past productivity in rail passenger transportation and makes inferences about future configurations of high-speed rail that might increase productivity. We also look at international HSR experiences in Japan and the European Union from a productivity perspective.

See Archila et al. (2014), Archila (2013), and Sakamoto (2012) or visit publications

HSR in the Digital Society
Ryan Westrom
Research sponsored by: Dwight David Eisenhower Graduate Transportation Fellowship Program

We are conducting ongoing research exploring the role of high-speed rail (HSR) in the increasingly digital society within which we live. With this ongoing technology-fueled societal transformation, what future role does HSR have? This research has included examination of the interaction between autonomous vehicles and HSR. And, as well, speculation in regard to forthcoming systemic transportation trends, which could further propel or dampen demand for HSR here in the US and abroad.

See Westrom (2013) or visit publications

Climate Impacts of HSR and Air Transportation
Regina Clewlow
Research sponsored by: MIT Energy Initiative (MITei), Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability, Environmental Protection Agency STAR Graduate Fellowship Program, Transportation Research Board Airport Cooperative Research Program: Graduate Research Award Program on Public-Sector Aviation Issues, Dwight David Eisenhower Graduate Transportation Fellowship Program, National Academy of Sciences, and Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at MIT (UROP)

Growing concerns about the energy use and climate impacts of the transportation sector have prompted policymakers to consider a variety of options to meet the future mobility needs of the world’s population, while simultaneously addressing the impact of these systems on our environment. This research focuses on air transportation and HSR, a sector for which demand is projected to grow substantially, and for which infrastructure and vehicle investment decisions are costly and long-lived. By examining the historical context, potential policies, and individual mode choice between HSR and aviation we improve our understanding of demand for these systems and methods to examine their climate impacts.

See Clewlow et al. (2013) and Clewlow (2012) or visit publications

Railroad Strategy for the Transport of Energy Resources
Joel Carlson
Research sponsored by: Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Post Graduate Scholarship and New England University Transportation Center (UTC) (housed at MIT)

The transport of energy resources is a large part of the business of North American freight railroads, with coal making up 22 percent of the gross revenue of Class 1 railroads (Source: AAR). In addition, since 2009, there has been a significant growth in the transport of crude oil by rail, notably from the Bakken region in the United States Midwest. However, given the importance of conflicting issues such as climate change, energy security, environmental impact, relations between Canada and the U.S., economic development, and safety, for example, there are opportunities to take a systemic approach, using the CLIOS Process and other techniques to deal with uncertainty, to help railroads develop strategies for transporting energy resources.

Determining Performance Measures to Evaluate the Effect of HSR on Communities' Livability
Research sponsored by: MIT Portugal Program (MPP) and New England University Transportation Center (UTC) (housed at MIT)

Experience in Europe and Asia has proven that high-speed rail (HSR) could play a key role in the integration and enhancement of different communities. The success of HSR depends on effective planning: Connecting HSR with other transportation modes, especially commuter rail, and considering its relation to land policy, will enable the creation of mega-regions in which networks of communities are linked to provide greater mobility options and access to economic opportunity. However, it is difficult to evaluate these impacts using traditional transportation performance measures, which are usually mode- or sector-specific. This project will address the choice of adequate performance measures that are able to capture these effects.

Urban Issues Related to HSR
Naomi Stein
Research sponsored by: MIT Portugal Program (MPP), National University Rail Center (NURail), and New England University Transportation Center (UTC) (housed at MIT)

We are working on high-speed rail issues with universities in Portugal and RAVE (the Portuguese HSR agency now merged with REFER). This research, aimed to assist the Portuguese in strategic questions regarding this major infrastructure investment, includes development of new methods of analysis (Multi-Attribute Tradespace Exploration or MATE), financing considerations, megaregion potential and the associated economic development opportunities, air/high-speed rail competition and cooperation, and the possibility of using the high-speed rail network for international freight transportation.

See Stein and Sussman (2014), Stein and Sussman (2013), and Stein (2013) or visit publications

Comparative Studies of HSR
Ryan Westrom
Research sponsored by: MIT Portugal Program (MPP) and National University Rail Center (NURail)

Research is being performed using a comparative analysis of HSR impact on the cities of Coimbra and Leiria in Portugal and Champaign-Urbana and Kankakee in Illinois to further explore the potential effects HSR could have on such communities. New HSR routes are proposed for both these analogous locations, with high-speed access then provided to Lisbon and Chicago, respectively. Various similarities exist between these city pairs, and the consideration of impacts will be insightful for both proposed projects.

Market Design Analysis for Capacity Pricing and Capacity Allocation in Shared Railway Systems
Maite Peña-Alcaraz
Research sponsored by: Rafael del Pino Foundation and National University Rail Center (NURail)

This research examines the political feasibility, the financial implications, and the performance of different strategies to determine which trains can access the infrastructure at each time (capacity allocation) and the access price they need to pay to the infrastructure owner (capacity pricing) in shared railway networks, that is, networks in which multiple train operators are granted access to a common railway infrastructure as, for instance, in open-access railway systems. Applications include the Northeast Corridor (NEC).

See Peña-Alcaraz and Sussman (2013) or visit publications

HSR Safety in the Northeast Corridor
Soshi Kawakami
Research sponsored by: Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and National University Rail Center (NURail)
Done in cooperation with: Prof. Nancy Leveson's Systems Safety Research Lab (SSRL)

Systems safety of HSR transportation is the main focus of this research. According to Prof. Nancy G. Leveson, safety is a “emergent property,” which means that safety should be discussed in the context of the system. Rail system involves not only technology and its operation, but also regulation, employee management, organizational culture, and the interaction of various agencies in the industry. One of the goals of this research is to develop a systems-based dynamic method to analyze safety risks of complex HSR rail projects/industries by applying STAMP (System-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes) and System Dynamics. With this method, we analyze the safety risks and identify crucial managerial safety constraints required in the ongoing HSR project in the Northeast Corridor (NEC), taking into consideration the possible alternatives of institutional structures.

Cross-Border HSR Effect: Economic and Social Structure
Iori Mori
Research sponsored by: East Japan Railway Company (JR East)

Emerging Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand are now developing a rail link connecting their lands and crossing their borders. But contrary to European cases, where the establishment of the European Union lowered the bar to the idea of "border", geographical borders remain as political, cultural, and historical barriers in East Asian countries. This research will explore how a HSR connection could impact the economic/social balance of the region, and if such a project will "meet the price". Since many of the transportation projects are funded as public-private partnerships (PPP), it is essential to know whether this will be financially feasible and a catalyst for further development at both ends.

Colombian Caribbean Coast Integration HSR
Jose Linares and Andrés Archila
Research sponsored by: Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at MIT (UROP)

Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and Cartagena, three cities spanning along a 150-mi corridor in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, South America, could be transformed into a megaregion via a HSR link, thus reshaping the regional environment, society and economy. In this research we analyze implementation challenges and potential implications of such a HSR connection, and provide guidelines for decision makers.