A network flow optimisation model for operational planning of modular autonomous public transport services with in-motion transfers

Abstract

Modular Autonomous Vehicles (MAVs) enable public transport services in which small pods couple into platoons on trunk segments and decouple to serve stops or diverging branches. This supports in-motion transfers (IMT) between intersecting platoons while passengers remain onboard, creating transferless connectivity in many-to-many origin-destination networks. Such flexibility can deliver substantial passenger benefits by combining high-frequency trunk performance with expanded coverage on branches. However, it also introduces operational challenges not present in conventional systems, including the need to coordinate pod exchanges at junctions, model decouple-dwell-recouple behaviour at stops..