Performance of Waverail and conventional light rail graphed against capacity
Notes:
- pspace/h is the system's passenger carrying capacity at point X. Example: if a tram, allowed to transport 100 passengers, passes X with 60 passengers on board, its contribution to 'pspace/h is 100.
- 'conventional' means 'conventional rail'.
- Conventional rail on the studied circuits would be called tram or light rail.
- While comparing Waverail with conventional is be encouraged, it is helpful to remember that Waverail is best in the high/medium capacities (hitherto reserved to heavy rail). There direct comparison is often not realistic or not possible at all.
- In order to enforce the maximum possible rage of comparison, in many graphs conventional has been allowed to increase frequency (smooth part of curve); in fact up to its theoretical maximum when consists obstruct each other. In reality, frequency increases are often not allowed and thus direct comparison is somewhat unrealistic/unfair. Waverail achieves these capacities mostly without the need to increase frequency.
- The many kinks in the curves emanate from the fact that, when adding cars to consists while maintaining frequency, capacity increases stepwise. The typical curve shape is: steps (adding cars), then continuous (increasing frequency, in reality often not allowed), then horizontal when max capacity is reached.
Performance measure:
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