Transport Systems Design

Transport Systems Design consists of five units, four of which teach practices related to the design and management of transport and traffic systems. Students should select and follow three of these four units. The fifth unit is an integrated individual project, mandatory for all students, where the content of the three chosen units should be applied to a case study. Students have the flexibility to choose the case study based on their own interests.

More specifically, the following content is covered in the units:

-          B-1 Network design: This unit focuses on designing efficient  transport networks for different modes, including a combination of them (i.e. multi-modal), for freight and passengers. Providing the principles and methods,  it explains the different elements of (multi-modal) transport networks (links, nodes, hubs, interfaces, etc.) and how to appropriately include them in the design.

-          B-2 Service design: This unit focuses on the design of transport services guided by key principles such as level of service, accessibility, inclusivity, resilience and sustainability, addressing the diverse needs of various stakeholders. It covers both strategic-level design, including service line planning, and tactical-level design, such as creating service schedules and associated vehicle circulation plans.

-          B-3 Physical infrastructure management: This unit focuses on managing road and railway infrastructures through their life cycles, balancing infrastructure requirements with operational needs of diverse users. This covers topics from asset management (which includes condition monitoring, maintenance planning, and strategies for disposal and recycling) to upgrading existing physical infrastructure using sustainable materials and innovative techniques, such as AI and IoT.

-          B-4 Traffic operations management: This unit focuses on the operational management for road traffic and other transport modes, including real-time operation of public transport services, and crowd management. Control strategies are designed to improve the traffic operations of the different modalities, covering improvements in travel time and accessibility, as well as balancing efficiency with safety and sustainability. New technologies play an important role, including automation and connectivity of vehicles.