Developed as part of the FRA National Planning Study, the CONceptual NEtwork Connections Tool (CONNECT) is a sketch planning tool that estimates the overall performance of user-defined High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) corridors and networks. The tool empowers analysts to assess the performance of a proposed HSIPR corridor as part of a larger network. CONNECT is a core-based statistical area (CBSA) to CBSA based planning tool and is intended for use at the very outset of the planning process before alignment and operational plans are developed. Forecasts are generated for only CBSA pairs 50 to 800 miles of each other.
How we helped
CONNECT was developed to provide an analytic basis for the decision making process in the early stages of HSIPR network planning. It estimates order of magnitude ridership, revenue, and costs, and provides a basis for relative comparisons between corridors and networks with various configuration and service options. It also provides the ability to assess the relative importance of network connectivity.
The CONNECT tool enables the user to build a desired HSIPR network, develop associated service plans, generate operational data, and estimate the financial and operational performance of the network. It produces ridership, revenue, and cost estimates for the user defined network in ranges, although the ranges are only designed to capture a portion of the plausible performance and conditions.
The CONNECT tool has the following high-level features:
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