Metaheuristics for the transit route network design problem: a review and comparative analysis

This paper critically reviews applications of metaheuristics for solving the Transit Route Network Design Problem (TRNDP). A structured review is offered and prominent metaheuristics for tackling the TRNDP are evaluated, according to a benchmark network. The review findings yield a unified implementation framework, which contains common algorithmic components and different solution representations and methods, which are considered important for obtaining solutions of good quality. The paper concludes with identified gaps in research and opportunities for future research on the application of metaheuristic algorithms for solving the TRNDP.