Centrality characteristics analysis of urban rail network

There is a consensus that the developing the urban rail transit system is the prime way for solving urban traffic problems. Urban rail network has been identified as a complex network. In this paper, three kinds of centrality characteristics of an urban rail network have been analyzed. The degree-based index describes the possible travel activities that travelers can get at a station. The betweenness-based index describes the ability to control the travel activities of a station. The closeness-based index describes the independence or efficiency of a station. Three indices reflect the importance of a station from different viewpoints. Shanghai urban rail network is taken as the object to be analyzed, which consists of 12 lines and 296 stations. The analysis results about the importance of stations and the importance of lines are compared with their operational conditions. It indicates that the closeness centrality is the index most relevant to the operational condition of the line. The centrality characteristics analysis is useful for the urban transit management and operation affairs and is the basic for the network´s vulnerability analysis which is important for the safety of urban rail transit system.