Investigation of Transition Curves Length Impact on Passenger Comfort in Curve

Curve lengths are sometimes designed shorter than the required length, while the effect of the length of the curves on the passenger comfort is neglected. In order to study such effect, a thorough literature review was made. Two riding comfort indices are presented (i.e., PCT and NCT). Using a selected data obtained from different resources, a comparative evaluation is conducted to investigate the effect of transition curve lengths on theses indices. The impacts of different transition lengths on change in lateral acceleration, lateral jerk and rolling velocities were also investigated. PCT and NCT were evaluated from the view of seated and standing passenger, followed by conclusions on the importance of the consideration of required curves length in the design of urban railways.