Community of Metros Research

Research: End-of-Life Management for Metro Assets

Metro systems worldwide face a growing challenge from ageing infrastructure. Without clear end-of-life management strategies for metro assets, operators face significant operational and financial risks, including in-service failures, service disruptions, and costly emergency replacements.

End-of-life management is an ongoing process that assesses whether assets should be replaced, refurbished, or have their service life extended. This evaluation considers multiple factors, including design life, technical condition, operational performance, economic viability, regulatory compliance, and component obsolescence.

EoL

The study benchmarks global best practices for managing ageing metro assets. Drawing on data from 32 metro systems with experience across the full asset lifecycle, it provides recommendations for effective end-of-life asset management.

Research: CBTC Operations and Maintenance Structure

Use of Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling systems continues to expand globally as metros build new lines and modernise existing ones. While CBTC shares many operational principles with traditional fixed-block signalling, it introduces greater reliance on software, data, communications networks, and the integration of multiple subsystems. These differences have significant implications for how organisations manage operations and maintenance activities.

This study examines the operational and maintenance (O&M) structure associated with CBTC implementation and explores how metros can optimise the existing organisation of their O&M teams to adapt to CBTC management.

Drawing on insights from 34 COMET members, the report reviews good practices that metros have implemented to improve their team structures for CBTC, and highlights common challenges encountered during implementation and transition.

BA Series 300

Research: Station Activation, Facilities, and Events

Metro stations are increasingly being reimagined as more than places to pass through. By introducing facilities, amenities, services, and events, metro operators can improve the quality of the station environment, enhance customer experience, and support wider goals such as attracting new riders, increasing non-fare revenue, and strengthening connections with local communities.

These initiatives can range from practical facilities that meet everyday passenger needs to cultural, commercial, and community activities that make stations more welcoming and engaging public spaces. The study outlines a wide range of examples of station events and activations that have been put on across COMET metros, as well as how external stakeholders have been involved and how metros measure the success of these initiatives.

Bella Vista Park
Bella Vista Pocket Park at Sydney Metro

Research: Headway-Based Scheduling and Dispatching

Increasingly metros are re-thinking traditional timetable-based operations and adopting more flexible, real-time service models that focus on maintaining even headways rather than adhering strictly to scheduled arrival times.

The study explores the application of headway-based operations across COMET metros. It identifies how metros are using headway-based control in regular service as well as during disruptions, highlighting the key benefits and common use cases. It also examines how metros operating timetable-based models regulate service spacing and maintain regularity in practice.

STC

The study was proposed by New York City Transit and draws on survey responses from 36 participating metros. The report primarily focuses on metros that operate with fully headway-based control or hybrid models. However, it also examined how metros running to a timetable manage real-time service delivery and respond to bunching and irregularity.

Research: Decarbonisation of Metro Operations

Metros worldwide are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but approaches to measuring and reporting vary. This study helps metros quantify emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, highlighting the importance of consistent reporting and the role of metros in broader regional decarbonisation through mode shift and compact development. It draws on responses from 34 metros and summarises key initiatives to reduce emissions as well as emerging innovations carried out by members.

Washington DC WMATA’s ‘Metro Rewind’ website

Many metros now face increasing requirements to report greenhouse gas emissions. To meet sustainability goals, metros typically adopt emission-reduction or net-zero targets aligned with national timelines, supported by improvements in renewable energy supply and increased metro ridership.

Reducing emissions requires actions across all scopes, including electrifying vehicles, improving energy efficiency, sustainable procurement, and low-carbon construction. Metros also reduce regional emissions through avoided car travel and can leverage carbon credits and trading systems to support net-zero ambitions.

Research: Reducing Passenger Safety Incidents

Despite metros being a very safe mode of transport, any incident, however rare, can attract significant public attention and erode trust. The study examines passenger safety incidents within stations, focusing on vertical circulation (escalators and stairs) and platform-train interface gaps. It builds upon findings from COMET’s Safety Performance Indicator (SPI) analysis using additional member contributions to identify trends, underlying causes, and effective strategies for reducing the risk of passenger safety incidents.

Example image of gabo light projection at Sydney Metro

Research: Video Analytics for Safety and Security

In the past two decades, metros around the world have been transforming the way they approach safety and security. One key aspect of that is the use of emerging technologies, such as video analytics. The COMET case study brings together responses from 34 member metros and covers the challenges, solutions, and best practices related to video analytics in metros, including a range of examples of using Artificial Intelligence.

Video analytics have specific impacts on different types of incidents and wider impacts on metro systems. The study reviewed areas where video analytics had reported impacts. 71% of the responding metros reported video analytics to be ‘very effective’ in enhancing their safety and security, and identified future opportunities for further development of video analytics in their systems.

Research: Air Quality in Metros

Poor air quality in metros can discourage riders, risk the safety of staff, and attract negative media attention. The Air Quality study examined how COMET metros monitor and manage air quality in their systems. It is focused on underground stations and onboard trains where pollutants can accumulate.

Metropolitano de Lisboa’s air quality dashboard

The report outlined the strategies metros have used to improve indoor air quality, including strategies that prevent emission of pollutants, reduce pollution concentration, and keep customers away from poor air quality. The study summarised the key recommendations to metros based on good practices identified from 30 metro organisations.

Research: Metro Automation

Automation offers potentially transformative benefits to capacity, reliability, safety, energy use, service flexibility, costs and customer experience. Several metros have embarked on transformative brownfield automation projects, upgrading legacy infrastructure to Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4) operations.

Metro de Madrid’s automation project of Line 6

This study considers the current status of automation projects across the group, and how metros prepare for operating automated systems. It compiles experiences of new lines and brownfield system and sub-system upgrades, covering integration and interface management, platform doors and passenger safety infrastructure, staffing, emergency management, pre-operations, and operations strategies.

The report brings together information provided by COMET metros and selected ISBeRG railways through a questionnaire and in-depth discussions, including at the Metro Automation expert workshop held in Madrid in March 2025.

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.

BVG tour
Berlin BVG U-Bahn Subway Tour

© 2026 Community of Metros, Transport Strategy Centre, Imperial College London, All Rights Reserved

Sitemap| Accessibility | Privacy Notice | Cookie Notice | Contact Us