PhD in Passenger Behavioural Response to Planned Railway Maintenance Disruptions ETH Zurich in Switzerland

PhD opening at ETH Zurich in Passenger behavioural response to planned railway maintenance disruptions.

The Chair of Transportation and Mobility Planning, led by Prof. Dr. Eva Heinen at the Institute for Transport Planning and Systems, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (D-BAUG), is recruiting a PhD candidate to study how passengers respond to planned railway maintenance disruptions in Switzerland.

The project focuses on transportation, civil engineering, survey design, discrete choice modelling, revealed preference, and stated preference methods. The research will examine short- and long-term passenger responses to changes in train service such as longer travel times, extra transfers, reduced frequency, delays, crowding, and replacement buses. It also includes modelling trust, reputation, and public support for railway investment.

Responsibilities include reviewing the literature, developing longitudinal revealed preference surveys and stated preference experiments, estimating passenger response models and elasticities, and developing a methodology for long-term impacts on trust and reputation. The candidate will also interact with other research groups, contribute to teaching and examinations, support new research proposals, and publish high-impact journal papers leading to a doctoral dissertation.

Eligibility highlights: MSc degree in transportation, civil engineering, computer science, spatial planning, geography, geoinformation, psychology, economics, or a related equivalent field; MSc certificate required before start; experience with discrete choice modelling and/or survey design; strong English skills; German is helpful but not required; familiarity with data analysis/programming tools such as R, Python, GIS software, or Stata is an advantage.

Funding and contract: This is a fixed-term PhD position at ETH Zurich. The initial contract is for 18 months, with an aptitude colloquium at the end of the first year to determine continuation. The full doctoral project is expected to last 4 years. No stipend amount is stated.

Application: Apply online only via ETH Zurich’s portal. Prepare a short motivation letter, CV, names and email addresses of 2–5 referees, one or two relevant outputs (paper, thesis, coursework, etc.), an overview of grades, and your possible starting date. If you do not yet have your MSc, include the expected date of proof of completion. The ideal starting date is January or early February 2027, and shortlisting is planned for the end of August 2026.