Electric feeder bus network design: a cloud model-based algorithm for the first/last mile problem

The demand-responsive transit (DRT) system can offer an alternative mode for providing feeder services to enhance the first/last mile (FM/LM) connectivity for metro stations. This study considers the feeder bus network design problem (FBNDP), which designs customised routes for serving FM/LM to/from a metro station. First, the electric vehicle (EV)-based vehicle scheduling problem (EVSP) of fleet size optimisation is combined with the FBNDP under a static DRT service for FM and LM problems. Second, a hybrid solution algorithm that combines a heuristic approach with the cloud model and various optimisation operators is designed to improve the quality of solutions. The proposed design method is evaluated on a case study of a real-world instance, and a sensitivity analysis to explore the influence of different operating strategies on system cost is also conducted. The results demonstrate how the proposed feeder bus system offers feasible service schemes while balancing convenience and cost.