Texas features a growing economy and population. The state boasts a large and well-developed network of roads, freight railroads, and air facilities, which make the state a vital link in the movement of people and goods. However, as the state continues to grow in population and economic significance, these systems are straining to meet state, national, and even global needs. It is increasingly obvious to residents and state officials that Texas should consider implementing alternative modes of transport, including development of passenger rail, for which Texas currently lags behind many of its peer states. Passenger rail provides quantifiable benefits in displacing less energy-efficient and higher pollutant-emitting air and automobile modes while generating potential positive economic impacts and enhancing consumer choice and multimodalism. Conveniently, renewed national interest in rail has invigorated research measuring the applicability of passenger rail services to many different regions of the United States, with the possibility that future national transportation visions will include passenger rail as an essential element. This thesis seeks to clarify the potential for passenger rail specifically in Texas through comparison and contrast with other regions and nations in the midst of new national-level knowledge and the changing transportation opportunities and challenges facing the state. Some of the ideal characteristics of successful international passenger systems exist in Texas, including optimal city spacing and a well-established rail network, which have fuelled ongoing interest demonstrated by various system proposals for high-speed intercity transportation in Texas over the last four decades. Despite these characteristics, the state presents a number of barriers to rail transport rooted in low transit use coupled with generally lower density and ambivalent support from politicians and residents when officials present realities of eminent domain and land use changes. However, with revitalized national rail interest and new federal rail planning requirements, the state may yet be able to work through these challenges to exploit the opportunities the state possesses. / text

No / Passenger rail overcrowding is fast becoming a problem in major cities worldwide. This problem therefore calls for efficient, cheap and prompt solutions and policies, which would in turn require accurate modelling tools to effectively forecast the impact of transit demand management policies. To do this, we developed an agent-based model of a particular passenger rail system using an activity based simulation approach to predict the impact of public transport demand management pricing strategies. Our agent population was created using a customer/passenger mobility survey dataset. We modelled the temporal flexibility of passengers, based on patterns observed in the departure and arrival behavior of real travelers. Our model was validated using real life passenger count data from the passenger rail transit company, after which we evaluated the use of peak demand management instruments such as ticketing fares strategies, to influence peak demand of a passenger rail transport system. Our results suggest that agent-based simulation is effective in predicting passenger behavior for a transportation system, and can be used in predicting the impact of demand management policies.

Thesis (Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / This research investigates and presents selected issues and aspects related to the railway mobile network (GSM-R) analysis and its shortcomings. Research studies show that millions of South Africans commuters are dependent on trains for daily movement activities, which significate contribute towards economic growth. Over the two decades, the exponential growth in wireless broadband service indicates the need for GSM-R improvement so that it can support the modern IP based protocol. The principle of implementing the digital network in railway already demonstrated significate improvement in the railway environment, especially in communication and signalling. Train traffic and train communications are the most critical aspects of railway scenarios due to safety and reliability. Both features form fundamental content to this research thesis. The exponential increase in Internet protocol (IP) based services and higher bandwidth requirements in modern technology applications have pushed the current Global system mobile for railway (GSM-R) technology to its maximum capacity as such the (GSM-R) platform is going to obsolete soon. There is a great need for the development of improved IP based networks for the future of the next generation network for fast smart trains to meet desired higher data low latency while improving quality of service (QoS). The focus of the research study is on modelling of an effective sharing method between public LTE and LTE-R without addition mobile infrastructure by utilizing train access unit (TAU), the main purpose is for public network (LTE) to handle railway emergency service including drop calls to improve quality of service (QoS). The second focus is an improvement of signal reception by spreading signals over wide spectrum range by utilizing Orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) technique where LTE-R is not deployed as noted that this technique is deployed in the 3G network. The proposed scheme has adopted features in modern evolution communication and both scenarios were investigated modelled and simulated with comparison results showing better improvement in proposed conditions, there are many challenges in high-speed railway such as handover procedure and Doppler shift due to the velocity of the moving train.LTE-R has provided many solutions such as seamless handover, capacity availability as well as enhanced performance in both uplink and downlink. Digital evolution for railway GSM-R has been deployed in most developed countries in Europe and also expanded into Africa, there is a greater need for the seamless network to be developed due to an increased number of packet based services. Urban rail is the backbone of public transport in South Africa which is the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). PRASA, and is the parent operator. Currently, PRASA has implemented digital railway network (GSM-R) to meet a high standard in railway. Modem demand and challenges require a cost-effective system to support IP orientated systems due to an increased number of packet-based services in the railway sectors.

High-speed passenger rail is seen by many in the U.S. transportation policy and planning communities as an ideal solution for fast, safe, and resource-efficient mobility in high-demand intercity corridors. To expand the body of knowledge for high-speed intercity passenger rail in the U.S., the overall goal of this dissertation was to better understand the demand for high-speed intercity passenger rail services in small- or medium-sized intermediate communities and improve planners' ability to estimate such demand through traveler surveys; specifically, the use of different experimental designs for stated preference questions and the use of images to describe hypothetical travel alternatives in traveler surveys. In pursuit of this goal, an Internet-based survey was distributed to residents of Waco and Temple, two communities located along the federally-designated South Central High-Speed Rail Corridor in Central Texas. A total of 1,160 surveys were obtained from residents of the two communities. Mixed logit travel mode choice models developed from the survey data revealed valuable findings that can inform demand estimates and the design of traveler surveys for high-speed intercity passenger rail planning activities. Based on the analysis presented in this dissertation, ridership estimates for new high-speed intercity passenger rail lines that are planned to serve intermediate communities should not assume that residents of these communities have similar characteristics and values. The d-efficient stated preference experimental design was found to provide a mode choice model with a better fit and greater significance on key policy variables than the adaptive design and therefore is recommended for use in future surveys. Finally, it is recommended that surveys should consider the use of images of proposed train services to aid respondent decision-making for stated preference questions, but only if the images used in the survey depict equipment that could be realistically deployed in the corridor.

The implementation of high-speed passenger trains (HST) within existing highway right-of-way (ROW) offers a solution for regions with a demand for the capacity and service offered by HST but lacking the support for sharing freight rail ROW or acquiring new ROW corridors. The states of Florida, Colorado, California and Nevada propose to use highway ROW for their HST projects to increase the capacity of the corridor, prevent or minimize impacts and prevent disruption of freight rail operations. Despite the constraints of using existing highway ROW, such as speed-limiting degrees of curvature and safety concerns, solutions and mitigation measures exist. The purpose of this thesis is to present the HST projects in the United States proposing use of highway ROW, the potential benefits and engineering issues to consider and the feasibility of using the existing I-35 ROW in Texas for HST. / text

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. / For almost three decades practitioners, academics, consultants, and research organisations have identified 'attaining alignment between IT and business' (Luttman & Kempaiah, 2007), as a pervasive problem. Despite the wide acceptance of the term "strategic alignment", there was no consensus on how to achieve alignment. The research philosophy was of an interpretive study and an inductive research approach was used. The research strategy was by means of a case study, namely PRASA Western Cape, a business unit of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). The time horizon for this research was cross sectional. For the data collection a semi-structured interview, supported by secondary data from the business plan and annual report, was used. The research problem was "PRASA has dysfunctional and fragmented institutional arrangements, resulting in misalignment between business and IT". The primary research question to address this problem was "How can PRASA manage strategic alignment between business and IT?" The aim of this research was to understand why the misalignment between business and IT strategies exists at PRASA. A further aim was to propose a guideline to manage alignment between business and IT strategies with the intention of overcoming the fragmented and dysfunctional institutional arrangements. To address resolving the research problem three theoretical models were used. The strategic alignment model was used to ascertain the strategic perspective of PRASA as well as to identify the external strategic fit and internal functional integration of an organisation. The second model used was the strategic alignment maturity model. This model was used to identify the alignment maturity of the business/IT strategies. The final model used was the balanced scorecard. Alignment is one of the best practices recommended by the balanced scorecard, and it recommends aligning all to the strategy of the company. The reason for using the balanced scorecard was that the company currently uses this tool to manage performance. The research finding concluded that PRASA had the strategic execution alignment perspective - business strategy dictates the IT strategy. The overall strategic alignment maturity of the organisation was found to be in initial process. The balanced scorecard methodology was known by all, yet few knew what the performance measures for the organisation was for the year. The triangulated conclusion was that strategic alignment between business and IT was a problem at PRASA. The recommendation was that the organisation conducts three surveys firstly to identify its strategic choice, secondly to identify the strategic alignment maturity and lastly to do a balanced scorecard best practice survey.

Public rail transport interiors must be adaptable and cater to a wide target market to address the diverse needs of the South African public. Local rail transport competes directly with air travel for market share. Currently, local rail transport fails on both accounts. The failure to invest in and update rail infrastructure has resulted in a desperate need to play catch up with decades of international railway evolution – a need especially visible in the interiors of local long-haul trains. The design and aesthetic identity of transport interiors are generic, dated and fail to address the functional and aesthetic needs of contemporary South African travellers. As a result, these interiors fail to establish an identity synonymous with our unique demographic makeup. The current state of local long-haul passenger rail interiors was investigated through the use of a heuristic inquiry. An Electro Star Multiple Unit train structure was then selected in which an interior insertion is made. Hamba-Kahle addresses the physical and psychological discomfort in the train interior, the absence of social spaces, the disregard for wayfinding and the lack of contextual identity. The design challenges the insular train interior layout and divides the interior into different spatial zones. A Budget Sitter car, Premium Sitter car, Budget Sleeper and Universal Car provides seating variation for passengers and in turn integrates a wide target market. Break-away spaces are also incorporated. The programme and the spaces it creates assist the interior in mediating between private and public spaces. It facilitates chance encounters and supports retractable privacy. The interior reinforces adaptability in the use of spaces while adhering to universal design principles. The scenery from the surrounding landscapes is used in the design to enrich the interior spaces and improve the embodied experience of the user. In establishing a contemporary South African identity, a sense of place is created with which passengers can identify and feel physically, psychologically and socially comfortable in. / Dissertation (MInt(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Architecture / MInt(Prof) / Unrestricted

M. Tech. (Department of Logistics Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / Supply Chain Management (SCM) departments and, specifically, procurement functions, account for the largest expenditure in most organisations. However, their function has been misunderstood, undervalued, and under-capacitated, and their strategic importance not recognised. As a result, the majority of public agencies in South Africa are implementing their procurement practices poorly. The main research question of this study focused on procurement practices in the state-owned passenger rail agencies in the Gauteng province. A qualitative research method was adopted in which semi-structured interviews were employed to gather data regarding current procurement practices within the procurement function in the state-owned passenger rail agencies. Content analysis was utilised to analyse and interpret data collected from 12 procurement officials employed in the procurement functions within these state-owned passenger rail agencies in the Gauteng province. The findings of this study indicate that there are poor procurement practices within the state-owned passenger rail agencies in the Gauteng province regardless of government initiatives established to address lack of accountability, inconsistency in application of procurement policies, lack of supporting structures and fragmented processes. The detailed findings indicate that the procurement function is still regarded as an administrative function within the state-owned passenger rail agencies. Due to the procurement function still being regarded as an administrative rather than as a strategic function, the procurement function is still under-rated within the state-owned passenger rail agencies in the Gauteng province. The findings also establish that there is poor contract management during the procurement processes. Furthermore, the findings established that there is poor implementation of supplier management within multiple stages of the procurement processes in the state-owned passenger rail agencies in the Gauteng province. Due to poor procurement practices within the passenger rail agencies, eleven challenges were identified within the procurement functions. As a result of the above-mentioned challenges, this study recommends strategies that can be used to address the problems identified within the procurement functions of these state-owned passenger rail agencies in the Gauteng province.

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The aim of the Master's Thesis is to analyze communication strategy of the Czech passenger train operator, RegioJet. The theoretical part of the thesis focuses on marketing mix of the company operating in the sector of transport services and on marketing communication as one of the tools of marketing mix. Further theoretical chapters deal with six forms of communication mix and new trends of marketing communication with a focus on digital marketing. The first chapter of the practical part characterizes the passenger rail transport market in the Czech Republic and introduces the company, RegioJet. Based on the evaluation of information from primary and secondary sources, the communication mix of the company is analyzed and the comparison with communication activities of competitors is made. The last chapter provides an evaluation of communication strategy with emphasis on its strengths and weaknesses and the recommendations to the communication strategy are suggested.