New Paper in the Journal "Networks"Robustness assessment of public transport networks in various graph representations: Systematic review, decision support, and case study

16 January 2026, by Michael Palk

Photo: NordNordWest/Wikipedia

A new article with the title “Robustness assessment of public transport networks in various graph representations: Systematic review, decision support, and case study” by Prof. Dr. Stefan Voß and Michael Palk from the Institute of Information Systems (IWI) and  Dr. Raka Jovanovic from the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute has been published in the Networks Journal (VHB rating: A). 

The paper examines how graph theory methods can be used to analyze the robustness of local public transport networks against disruptions. A key finding of the systematic literature review is -on the one hand - the choice of analysis methods being crucial for assessing robustnes and the underlying graph representation used to model the network on the other. For taking into account the trade-off between information preservation and complexity reduction in the model, a decision support approach was developed that can serve as a guide for robustness analyses.
For checking the practicality of this approach, a case study on the subway and commuter rail network in Hamburg has been conducted. Its main focus was on how the planned U5 extension would affect the robustness of the subway network. The results show that the extension is likely to strengthen the overall stability of the network. At the same time, newly created transfer stations to other subway lines, such as Sengelmannstraße, Hoheluftbrücke, and Hagenbecks Tierpark stations will play an important role for the robustness of the overall system. The result is that network operators would be well adviced to pay particular attention to these hubs and to develop targeted operational contingency plans to ensure a smooth operation especially in the event of disruptions.