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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Waressara Weerawat

Mahidol University, Thailand

Speech Title: The Simulation of APM Operations: A Case Study of Suvarnabhumi Airport
Abstract: For the first time in Thailand, an Automated People Mover (APM) has been implemented at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The APM uses the guided way concept similar to metro rail operations, but with driverless trains on rubber wheels. As the APM becomes a key transport technology especially for large airports, it is worth investigating the operations to ensure service viability of driverless APM operations. This research uses a microscopic simulation model to evaluate the feasibility of APM operations and timetables in accordance with capacity requirements. The APM headway is often limited by turn-back operations using a single track at the entry-exit of the station. To increase line capacity, headway should be decreased or train capacity should be increased and the itinerary needs to be reevaluated. For an airport APM, the headway should only be decreased within certain limits to achieve the benefits of higher network capacity without compromising passenger travelling time. Increasing train capacity using coupled trains can accommodate more passengers on each trip, but the number of trains available should be considered. The simulation result reveals the critical factors that contribute to improve network capacity and offers guidance for the complex APM operations in the future.

Biodata: Dr. Waressara Weerawat is an associate professor in the Industrial Engineering Department at Mahidol University in Thailand. She received her bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering from Mahidol University in Thailand in 1994, her master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1996 and PhD degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2002. She is currently serving as director of the Logistics Innovation Center. She leads several industry, research and academic projects in areas of modeling and simulation of rail transit systems, rail operations and timetabling, rail freight and logistics improvement, the ASEAN rail link, and the livable city. At Mahidol University, she was a leader in the establishment of the Cluster of Rail and Logistics Engineering (CLARE) in 2017, the master’s program in railway transportation system, and recently the railway operations lab. She is the author and editor of several Thai rail transport books and case studies. She is co-developer of the BKK app for iOS and Android. This helps users of the Bangkok metro system navigate and plan journeys. She has worked on many railway research projects under the support of national and international funds.

 

Speakers in 2024 to be announced soon......