A Design for Guideway Rubber-tyred Tram Vehicle Base without Turn-back Operation

Objective Vehicle base serves as a place for parking and maintenance of guideway rubber-tyred trams. Vehicles are traveling on complex routes and operating turn-back frequently within the base. Since guideway rubber-tyred trams turn-back operation in vehicle base will undermine the vehicle turnover efficiency, a vehicle base layout form that can avoid tram turn-back operation is proposed. Method The characteristics of guideway rubber-tyred tram vehicles and turnouts are introduced. The current production process and existing problems of guideway rubber-tyred tram vehicle base in China are analyzed. Combining the advantage of vehicle small turning radius and the vehicle base site selection conditions, vehicle base schemes are analyzed. A design scheme for rubber-tyred tram vehicle base without turn-back operation is developed, as well as the implementation process for scheduling vehicles without turn-back operation. When the washing garage for daily inspection is not occupied, the daily inspection, washing, and parking process will be adopted; when it is occupied, the process with a designated parking space, daily inspection, washing, and corresponding parking are used. In the latter process, simultaneous dispatching of two vehicles is adopted to avoid vehicle turn-back operation. The advantages and disadvantages of the vehicle base scheme are analyzed, and the conditions for setting up a vehicle base that meets the requirements of no turn-back operation are put forward. Result & Conclusion The proposed vehicle base without turn-back operation is implemented in a testing line project in China, and is expected to achieve certain results in improving vehicle turnover efficiency, reducing personnel count in vehicle base, and saving land.