transportkapaciteter

Transport capacity refers to the maximum rate at which a transport system can move people or goods through a network under given conditions. It is a function of infrastructure, vehicles, operations, and demand, and can be expressed for a network, a corridor, or a facility.

There are different notions: design capacity (theoretical maximum) and effective or attainable capacity (limited by delays, reliability, and safety rules). For passengers, capacity is often expressed as persons per hour; for freight as tonnes per hour or vehicle trips per day.

Key components include physical infrastructure capacity (rail tracks, roads, ports, terminals), vehicle capacity (seating, loading, container slots), traffic management and signaling capacity, and terminal/storage capacity. Demand patterns and service frequency also shape capacity.

Capacity can be constrained by bottlenecks such as a single bridge, limited track availability, platform length, or gate availability at airports or seaports. The concept also covers dwell times, transfer penalties, and service reliability.

Planning and measurement use capacity modeling, simulation, and throughput analyses to identify bottlenecks and evaluate interventions. In practice, capacity is affected by weather, incidents, maintenance, workforce, and safety requirements.

Strategies to increase capacity include infrastructure expansion (new lines, extra lanes, longer platforms), operational improvements (re-timing, express services, dedicated lanes, bus rapid transit), and demand management (pricing, scheduling).