Community of Metros Research

Research: Non-Fare Revenue

Non-fare revenue has become even more important due to the steep decline in metro ridership and fare revenue related to the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn. Given the uncertain financial situation, COMET members have shown growing interest in topics related to funding and revenue.

The study explores the changes in non-fare revenue generation amongst COMET metros, in a post-pandemic world of financial uncertainties. It covers contextual information including organisational structures for non-fare revenue generation, along with details including targets, long-term plans, and strategic approaches. It delves into the categories of non-fare revenue in the COMET KPI ecosystem including advertising, retail, telecommunications, and other sources. Good practices and lessons learned by COMET members are highlighted for each of these categories.

Example of non-fare revenue: Berlin BVG U-Bahn Subway Tour

Research: Real-Time Monitoring of Track Equipment

Real-time track monitoring is a technology that offers continuous monitoring and quick detection of defects, enabling better preventative maintenance, and allowing for more effective trend analysis of precursors, incidents, and high-risk areas.

The study explores how COMET members utilise real-time monitoring technologies for track equipment. It sheds light on the monitoring of four components of track equipment: tracks, rails, power systems, and switches and crossings machines.

The research highlights the technologies in use for monitoring these assets and examines the challenges faced and the best practices to enhance monitoring accuracy.

Research: Reducing Impact of Major Projects

Delivering major projects while maintaining reliable metro service is a critical challenge for metro operators. These projects often demand extensive resources and long-term planning, which can strain organisational capacity and divert attention from day-to-day operations. As a result, metros must carefully manage the impacts of major project works on service reliability, financial sustainability, and the overall customer experience.

The study explores how metros can plan and deliver major infrastructure projects while minimising disruption to operations, staff, and budgets. It draws on lessons from both past and planned major projects across COMET metros. It examines how metros plan and coordinate major projects and maintain service continuity during delivery. It also explores how metros assess and communicate the impacts of major works on performance and customer satisfaction.

Example of communication for major projects: Atlanta MARTA Airport Station closure outreach

Research: Employee Satisfaction

Keeping metro staff satisfied is essential to the successful operation of metro systems. Metros face the unique challenge of managing a diverse range of job roles, both operational and office-based, which shapes staff expectations and the types of employee satisfaction initiatives that are possible.

The research provides an overview of employee satisfaction initiatives that were successfully conducted by metros, exploring approaches for improving collaboration and communication within metro organisations. It also provides an update on the status of flexible working options that are offered by metros as well as good practices to engage newer and younger employees.

Examples of employee satisfaction initiatives

Research: Performance of New Fleets

Rolling stock performance typically follows a ‘bathtub curve’ throughout a vehicle’s ~40-year lifecycle. This is characterised by higher rates of failures in the early stages due to design or assembly defects or staff unfamiliar with the equipment, which falls to a lower, relatively stable rate of failures during the normal operating period. We would then expect failure rates to increase again towards mid-life or end of life.

The study analyses rolling stock failure rates of individual vehicles within a metro fleet relative to their time in service, allowing members to compare the bathtub curve for new fleet failures across metros and within fleets.

Factors impacting failure rates of new fleets

Research: Metro Reliability

Metro reliability is a crucial element of metro operations and customer service. During the core COVID-19 period, metros’ attention seemed to shift away from reliability to more pressing needs at that time, however it is clear that reliability has returned to one of metros’ top priorities as ridership returns.

The research collected the line-level data from 23 metros for 182 lines. It reviews how metros measure reliability and set reliability-related targets. It also investigates reliability performance based on both the network- and line-level data, and explores the successful initiatives that have been implemented by metros for reliability improvement.

Reliability indicator categories

Research: Congestion Management in Stations and Trains

As passengers continue to return to using metro more frequently post COVID-19, many metros have experienced constraints on train and station capacity. In some cases, this increased congestion can also result in safety issues that can have catastrophic impacts on customers and the reputation of the metros themselves.

This study summarised magnitude and trends in congestion on metro systems, and further looked at the implemented technologies that allow for mitigations to be put in place. It also identified emergency response and congestion management training that is provided to regular station staff and operational staff on trains.

Concerns for congestion on trains

An overview of best practices for managing congestion in stations and on trains is discussed in the report, with a focus on smaller and shorter-term solutions that can be deployed quickly by member metros.

Research: Preparing for Extreme Weather and Climate Change

In the last five years, more than half of COMET metros have been impacted by flooding (74%), high winds/storms (62%) and extreme heat (50%), and many have also been impacted by cold weather and snow (45%), drought (22%) and wildfire (16%). Concerningly, three quarters of metros have noticed an increase in weather events impacting metro operations in recent years. These events pose significant risks to metro infrastructure, operations and the safety of passengers and staff.

Factors Making a Metro Vulnerable to Extreme Weather

The latest COMET study on Preparing for Extreme Weather and Climate Change reviews how member metros prepare for and manage upcoming periods of extreme weather and their plans to adapt infrastructure and operations in the longer term to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Research: Energy Storage Systems for Regenerative Braking

The study builds on the previous COMET study on Energy Efficiency, which was conducted last year as metros experienced increasing energy costs driven up by the conflict in Ukraine. This study examined how members use recovered braking energy and reviewed the extent and use of energy storage systems amongst members, particularly to increase the efficiency of regenerative braking.

The data shows that the average share of traction energy obtained from regenerative braking is 27% across members, however there are notable differences between fleets and technologies. Key findings of the study cover areas of energy storage systems, relevant technologies, and benefits of using energy storage systems. The report includes several mini-case studies of metros who currently have or are in the advanced stages of implementation of energy storage systems for regenerative braking. These include examples from Washington WMATA, Ottawa OC Transpo, Seoul Metro, and Tokyo Metro.

Research: Knowledge Management

Many metros are faced with high staff turnover and/or high levels of retirement, highlighting the need to retain institutional knowledge for incoming staff. Simultaneously, metros are undergoing various forms of digital transformation that require upskilling of new and existing staff. This study therefore reviews how metros are retaining and documenting the best practices of the past while preparing for the needs of the future.

Excerpt from Berlin BVG Knowledge Management documents

The study collected information from 24 metros as well as from a Virtual Panel Discussion with inputs from Berlin BVG, MRT Jakarta, Dubai RTA, Washington WMATA, and London Underground. Best practice examples on knowledge retention and development are summarised in the report, with additional information about the future outlook of knowledge management including the application of new technologies and generational changes in the workforce.

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