Platform wheel dent

A method for controlling a movement of one of a plurality of vehicles to one of a plurality of vehicle stopping surfaces at a stopping station, the method comprising:

• receiving from the one of the plurality of the vehicles a request for stopping at the one of the plurality of the vehicle stopping surfaces of the stopping station;
• selecting the one of the plurality of the vehicle stopping surfaces for stopping of a requesting one of the vehicles at the one of the plurality of vehicle stopping surfaces;
• and transmitting the selected vehicle stopping surface to the requesting one of the plurality of the vehicles;
• wherein the selecting of the one of the plurality of the stopping surfaces comprises selecting cutouts for docking of wheels of the requesting one of the plurality of vehicles to a passenger boarding/alighting platform, and wherein the form of the cutout is dimensioned according to a wheel hull curve of at least one wheel of the vehicle and the number of cutouts disposed on the passenger boarding platform correlates to the number of wheels of the vehicle on a side of the vehicle facing the passenger boarding/alighting platform.

A method for controlling a departure of vehicles from a stopping station in a transportation network, the method comprising:

• receiving, from one of a plurality of vehicles docked to a cutout disposed on a passenger boarding/alighting platform adjacent to the one of a plurality of vehicle stopping surfaces, a request for departure from the stopping station;
• determining, by a stopping station control unit, a route for leaving of the requesting one of the vehicles from the one of the vehicle stopping surfaces;
• and
• transmitting the determined route for the leaving of the vehicle stopping surfaces to the requesting one of the plurality of vehicles.

A method for boarding/alighting passengers at a passenger boarding/alighting platform in/from a vehicle in a transportation network, the method comprising:

• approaching a vehicle stopping surface by the vehicle;
• aligning wheels of the vehicle with a plurality of cutouts disposed in a vehicle-facing surface of the passenger boarding/alighting platform, wherein the form of the cutout is dimensioned according to a wheel hull curve of at least one wheel of the vehicle and the number of cutouts disposed on the passenger boarding platform correlates to the number of wheels of the vehicle on a side of the vehicle facing the passenger boarding/alighting platform;
• stopping the vehicle proximate to the passenger boarding/alighting platform;
• docking the wheels of the vehicle in the cutouts of the to the passenger boarding/alighting platform;
• boarding/alighting of passengers at the vehicle;
• and
• leaving the stopping station by the vehicle.

A method for management of vehicles at a stopping station in a transportation network, the method comprising:

• aligning wheels of the vehicle with a plurality of cutouts disposed at a vehicle-facing surface of the passenger boarding/alighting platform, wherein the form of the cutout is dimensioned according to a wheel hull curve of at least one wheel of the vehicle and the number of cutouts disposed on the passenger boarding platform correlates to the number of wheels of the vehicle on a side of the vehicle facing the passenger boarding/alighting platform;
• stopping of the vehicle proximate to the passenger boarding/alighting platform;
• and
• docking the wheels of the vehicle in the cutouts of the to the passenger boarding/alighting platform.