Low-Altitude UAVs and Urban Rail Transit Join Hands to Solve the Last-Mile Problem in Urban Logistics Distribution: A Case Study of Tianjin Metro Line 2

Xinge Yang

doi:10.6919/ICJE.202607_12(7).0009

Authors

Xinge Yang School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin, 300300, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6919/ICJE.202607_12(7).0009

Keywords:

Low-altitude; Rail Transit; Collaborative Distribution; Last-Mile.

Abstract

Taking Tianjin Metro Line 2 as an example, this paper explores an innovative model for low-altitude UAVs and urban rail transit to collaboratively address the "last-mile" issue in urban terminal logistics distribution. The study proposes the "intelligent rail-UAV collaborative distribution" model, with innovations including: revealing the temporal and spatial complementarity between the "off-peak freight periods" of rail transit and the "point-to-point direct delivery" of UAVs; constructing a network architecture of "suburban distribution center - rail transit station - UAV site - community station"; and designing a joint transportation process: goods are transported to depots (such as Haojixing Logistics Park) via the outer ring road, packaged and then delivered to urban district stations by rail transit, and finally distributed to community stations by UAVs. The temporal-spatial relay model utilizes off-peak hours, non-operating periods, and peak-shifting with passengers to build a three-dimensional network encompassing underground (rail transit), ground (external transportation), and low-altitude (UAVs) layers. For site selection calculation, Tianjin Metro Line 2 is taken as a case, and initial operating stations are determined based on calculated scores, with relevant operational ideas proposed.

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