Robustness analysis of urban transit network based on complex networks theory.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to attempt to realize the optimization of cascading failure process of urban transit network based on Load-Capacity model, for better evaluating and improving the operation of transit network. Design/methodology/approach – Robustness is an essential index of stability performance for urban transit systems. In this paper, firstly, the static robustness of transit networks is analyzed based on the complex networks theory. Aiming at random and intentional attack, a concrete algorithm process is proposed on the basis of Dijstra algorithm. Then, the dynamic robustness of the networks, namely cascading failure, is analyzed, and the algorithm process is presented based on the Load-Capacity model. Finally, the space-of-stations is adopted to build the network topology of Foshan transit network, and then the simulation analyses of static and dynamic robustness are realized. Findings – Results show that transit network is robust to random attack when considering static robustness, but somewhat vulnerable to intentional attack. For dynamic robustness analysis, a large-scale cascade of transit network may be triggered when the tolerance parameter α is less than a value, so that the robustness of transit network can be improved through some reasonable measures. Practice implications – The results of this study provide useful information for urban transit network robustness optimization. Originality/value – An effective method for analyzing the static and dynamic robustness of transit network is provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]