The NEXUS project is pleased to announce the publication of Deliverable D7.1 – “Validation and Exploitation of Metro System Simulation Models and AI Applications”, a major milestone demonstrating the successful validation of the project’s simulation models, AI applications, and cybersecurity approaches for future metro operations.
This deliverable documents the outcomes of Work Package 7, bringing together the validation and exploitation activities carried out under Task 7.1 and Task 7.2. Its objective is to ensure that the metro system models, concepts, and AI-enabled applications developed throughout the project accurately reflect real-world operations and provide reliable support for decision-making.
What does D7.1 cover?
The report presents a comprehensive validation framework combining simulation, artificial intelligence, sustainability assessment, and cybersecurity. Key activities include:
- Validation and cross-validation of a suite of metro simulation models;
- Multi-level evaluation of current metro system performance using 23 operational scenarios;
- Assessment of the impacts of future GoA4 (fully automated) metro operations;
- Validation of three AI applications for passenger demand forecasting, timetable generation from GTFS feeds, and vehicle uncleanliness detection;
- Preliminary analysis of AI-enabled optimisation for energy consumption and CO₂ emissions;
- Development of cybersecurity strategies and safeguards for AI-enabled metro environments.
Key findings
The validation exercises confirm that the developed simulation models accurately represent metro operations and are suitable for evaluating future operational scenarios.
Among the main findings:
- GoA4 automation can significantly improve resilience during localised disruptions by reducing train headways, although operators must balance shorter passenger waiting times with efficient train capacity utilisation.
- The validated AI applications demonstrate strong potential to support operational planning, demand forecasting, timetable generation, and automated maintenance processes.
- AI-driven optimisation shows promising links to improved energy efficiency, lower operational costs, and reduced CO₂ emissions.
- A comprehensive cybersecurity assessment identifies emerging risks associated with AI-enabled metro systems and proposes practical safeguards, threat modelling approaches based on MITRE ATLAS, and clear criteria for safely progressing from experimentation to deployment.
Supporting the next phase of NEXUS
D7.1 establishes a robust evidence base for the final stages of the project. The validated models and AI applications will now be used to evaluate innovative metro concepts and operational improvements in Deliverable D7.2, supporting the development of more efficient, resilient, sustainable, and secure metro systems.
By combining advanced simulation, AI, sustainability analysis, and cybersecurity, D7.1 represents an important step towards the deployment of next-generation automated metro operations.