The knowledge acquired all along the course is both methodological and applied. The methodological knowledge is based on learning about theories and methods to dimension a transport system (all the transport modes), both private and public, as well as to evaluate its economic efficiency, the environmental and energy impact, also under the point of view of the external costs. Furthermore, the study of the economic theories on which the markets are based allows understanding the principles of transport systems regulations (fare policies, internalisation of costs). The applied knowledge is acquired through the experimental work carried out during the course, which provides the analysis of real cases to which apply the learned theories. For example, the students learn how to evaluate the performances of the transport systems (daily capacity, carrying capacity, level of service), how to evaluate the economic benefits and costs, whether and when road transport of freight can be more convenient that rail-road combined transport and how to optimise freight or passenger transport among different origins and destinations. The knowledge acquired during the course allows to develop: a) the ability to describe and analyse a transport system; b) the mastery of the basic techniques to dimension a transport system; c) the ability to measure the performances of a transport service; d) the skills in the evaluation of a transport system according to the point of view of the different stakeholders (users, firm operating the service or managing the system, general public, policy and decision maker); e) the ability to analyse the markets and to define the fares of the different transport systems; f) the ability to organise an intermodal transport of goods and optimise the available resources, using modern technologies and ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems).

Basic notions of Mathematics, Statistics, Physics and Mechanics. Basic notions and methods on the evaluation of investment projects given in courses such as "Construction project management" (Civil Engineering) or "Business economics and organization" (Mechanical Engineering).

Vehicle motion: 8 hours – only for the 8 CFU class - Adhesion and friction - Basic and alignment resistances for road and rail vehicles - Equation of motion and regimes of motion - Power and efficiency, tractive effort and resistance diagrams - Braking and stopping distance for road and rail vehicles, UIC formula - Motion diagrams for one vehicle Traffic flows on roads and railways: 14 hours - Kinds of traffic streams, trajectories for many vehicles, headway and spacing - Definition of traffic stream features: flow, density, space and time mean speed; fundamental equation; occupancy - Stationary traffic and related deductive models: Greenshields and Greenberg - Empirical-inductive models for traffic flow: capacity and level of service of uninterrupted flows on motorways - Train separation principles in railways, track clear detection, railway signalling and automatic train protection - Traffic streams in railways: theoretical model of the speed-capacity relationship - Empirical model for the capacity computation in railways (UIC leaflet 406) Scheduling line transport services: 8 hours - Measures of input and output transportation quantities, evaluation of services through efficiency and effectiveness indicators, load profiles, productivity and commercial speed - Planning, programming and scheduling line services: cycle time, headway and capacity, graphic timetables - Performances of different line transport services (line capacity, speed, costs): bus, tramways, light rail, heavy rail Fundamentals of microeconomics: 9 hours – only for the 8 CFU class - Introduction: economic organisation, factors of production and definition of market - Demand and supply curves, market equilibrium point - Price elasticity of the demand, link between elasticity and revenues - Analysis of production costs: fixed, variable, marginal, average costs, link between production levels and costs - Perfectly competitive markets: profit maximisation, zero profit and shutdown points - Monopoly: varieties of imperfect competition and market failures, marginal revenues and profit maximisation, price discrimination and monopoly deadweight loss Evaluation of transport projects: 11 hours - Incremental costs, opportunity costs and sunk costs - Market versus shadow prices, externalities - Project evaluation in the public and private sector: cost-benefit analysis and multi-criteria analysis (numerical application in groups) Transport, energy and the environment: 6 hours Energy consumption of transport systems and related emissions: sustainability of transport systems, overall impact of transport on energy production; consumption of single modes of transport, international comparison, introduction to energy carriers, resulting pollutant emissions; relationship of fuel consumption to the state budget and transport economy; alternatives to internal combustion engines, energy carriers for motor vehicles, electric motors and electrification principles; relationship to energy and environmental impact: technical, energy, environmental and economic aspects; new powertrains for road transport. Intelligent transport systems: 4.5 hours ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) for more sustainable transport systems. ITS architectures and technical standards. ITS components: communication systems, including V2V, V2X; localisation through AVLS; identification of vehicles, of freight, of travellers through AVI and AEI; traffic data collection through sensors on the infrastructure and on board, for both vehicles and passengers, through APC (automated passenger counting), with related integrations, mainly addressed to road transport. Assisted driving and evolution towards autonomous vehicles. Examples for integrated ITS. Intermodal transport systems: 6 hours Intermodal transport systems, for freight, by land and sea: ITUs (containers, swap bodies and semitrailers), transhipment techniques, combined transport and trucking, inland and port/container terminals and related handling techniques; cost of railroad combined transport. Optimisation methods in transport: 9 hours Optimisation methods and techniques in external logistics and freight transport, with numerical applications (two-steps and one-step). Use of both manual methods and Excel solver for optimising shipments of goods or mobility of passengers among different origins and destinations. Technical visit: 4.5 hours Technical visit at transport facilities and terminals (railway terminals and/or intermodal terminals and/or metro and/or ports and/or transport and traffic control rooms and/or transport vehicle industries).

The course for the Mechanical Engineering class provides 6 credits. Thus, the students who choose such course will have a deduction of 20 hours, as detailed in the "course topics" field. This choice aims to maximise the student learning, taking into account his/her educational background and avoiding potential overlapping with previous courses.

Workshops, that last about three to four hours each, are targeted at the development of numerical applications that are related to the topics covered during lessons, in particular on the following points: Workshops, that last about three to four hours each, are targeted at the development of numerical applications that are related to the topics covered during lessons, in particular on the following points: 1. VEHICLE MOTION. The movement of single vehicles, active forces and resistances, especially in public transport systems. The motion equation. Computation of the performances of vehicles moving at constant speed or during acceleration and deceleration phases. 2. CAPACITY OF MOTORWAYS. Vehicular flows, levels of service and HCM manual. 3. CAPACITY OF RAILWAYS. UIC 406 R leaflet method. 4. RESOURCES FOR TRANSPORT SERVICES. Graphical timetables, fleet and crew scheduling. 5. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS. Curves of costs and revenues, breakeven and maximum profit point. Calculation of cost per kilometre of a vehicle. 6. EVALUATION OF INVESTMENTS AND PROJECTS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. Cost benefit analysis. 7. WORKSHOP ON OPTIMISATION METHODS FOR TRANSPORT SYSTEMS. Groups of students in class with interactive solutions.

The nature of the course and the available references do not allow to have only one textbook; thus, the attendance to the course is fundamental for an effective learning process. All along the course, proper textbooks will be suggested to complete the training process. Concerning specific topics, ad hoc material (articles, reports, etc.) will be uploaded on the course web page at Politecnico web site.

Lecture notes; Exercises;

Exam: Written test; Compulsory oral exam;

The exam implies a written as well as an oral part, both are compulsory. The goal of the exam is to ascertain the knowledge of the topics covered during classes and the achievement of the above mentioned learning outcomes. Written exam: solution of numerical exercises and quizzes on the topics dealt during the workshops. The written exam will include two exercises and some quizzes and it will last about 2.5 hours. It will be possible to consult personal notes only to solve the two exercises. Oral exam: it will deal with all the topics covered during the course and it will compulsorily take place after few days from the written exam. The oral exam will last about 30 minutes. The admittance requirement to the oral exam is having obtained a score of at least 18/30 in the written exam and, for each of the two exercises and for the quiz, a score of at least 5/10.

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.