Objective At present, urban rail transit network planning in China faces disadvantages, such as high uncertainty of network scale, difficult judgement of the passenger flow corridors suitable for urban rail transit planning, strong subjective factors in the formation of alternative schemes, and excessive emphasis on the network geometric form, resulting in poor passenger flow effects of the built rail transit lines in some cities, especially those in areas outside the large city center. It is necessary to study the selection method of rail transit passenger corridors outside the central city of megacities.

Method The connotation and research premise of urban rail transit passenger corridors are elaborated, and the generation method of potential urban rail transit corridors is introduced. Targeting the total social travel cost minimization, an evaluation index system for comparison and selection of various alternative schemes (including conceptual operation sub-schemes) for potential urban rail transit corridors is constructed. Quantification methods for train traction energy consumption cost and environmental emission cost two indicators are emphatically discussed, and an evaluation model for alternative schemes is constructed. Taking one passenger corridor outside a megacity central area as a case study, the feasibility of the proposed method and model is verified.

Result & Conclusion  The proposed selection method for urban rail transit passenger corridors outside the central city of megacities, as well as the evaluation model for alternative schemes, are both feasible.