Evaluating Mobility-as-a-Service Solutions for Long-Distance Commuting

Long-Distance Mobility as a Service (LD-MaaS) is a novel transport solution that integrates (inter-)regional and local transport modes to facilitate systematic intermunicipal trips. Yet, its operational efficiency remains underexplored. In this contribution, we develop a mixed integer linear programming model to identify optimal LD-MaaS configurations that maximise the social utility and guarantee the financial viability from the provider's perspective, under different demand, policy and market contexts. When applied to Labour Market Areas along Italy's Venice-Trieste railway line, the model demonstrates that selecting suitable origin-destination pairs and coordinating train, bus, and Demand Responsive Transport services are critical for the technical and financial sustainability of the service. Results indicate that subsidies influence service coverage, while coordinated planning can improve efficiency even under limited funding. The highest LD-MaaS commuter numbers do not align with total commuter volumes, highlighting distinct local and long-distance travel dynamics. These findings offer insights to policymakers on the design of integrated multimodal systems that address both local and supralocal systematic mobility needs.