Simulation Study on Topology Characteristics and Cascading Failure of Hefei Subway Network

The structural characteristics and robustness of subway networks are important for improving the safety and efficiency of subway operations. Based on complex network theory, this study analyzed the structural characteristics of the Hefei subway network and evaluated its robustness after suffering from accidents. Specifically: (1) A model of the Hefei subway network was established using the space-L method, and its topological structural characteristics were quantitatively analyzed; (2) An improved cascading failure simulation model was established, and a node importance evaluation system was developed to identify the critical nodes in the Hefei subway network; (3) A simulation analysis was conducted to evaluate the robustness of the Hefei subway network under different scenarios. The results show that the Hefei subway network is different from a scale-free network and small-world network, and the structure was most severely damaged when facing attacks against critical nodes in the cascading failure scenario. Moreover, as the value of the parameter of the control node capacity in the cascade failure model varied, the degree of damage to the subway network also varied considerably. We believe that the results obtained from the study could provide a reference for the construction and planning of the subway network.