WCTR 2026 Toulouse – A Look Back
17th World Conference on Transport Research | Celebrating 50 Years of WCTRS
From July 6th – 10th, 2026, over 1,500 transport researchers, policy makers, academics, and industry experts gathered at the campus of Toulouse Capitole University (UT Capitole) and the Toulouse School of Economics (TSE) in France.
Conference Highlights & Overview
Hosted in the European capital of aeronautics and mobility, WCTR 2026 provided a unique multi-modal, multi-disciplinary platform to exchange research and tackle critical global transport challenges.
1,500+
Participants
65
Countries Represented
1,700
Accepted Contributions
50th
Anniversary Celebration
Key Program Highlights
- International Policy Session (July 6): Led in partnership with the ITF and chaired with WCTRS leadership on the theme “Transport and Supply Chain Policy Responses to the Deglobalising and Fragmenting World”, addressing supply chain resilience, trade tariffs, and airspace connectivity.
- Opening Ceremony (July 7): Officially inaugurated by WCTRS President Tae Hoon Oum, Conference Director Marc Ivaldi, Scientific Committee Chair Lóránt Tavasszy, Mayor of Toulouse Jean-Luc Moudenc, and leaders from UT Capitole & TSE.
- 50th Anniversary Commemorations: Special anniversary plenary sessions reflecting on five decades of transport research and showcasing the draft WCTRS 50th Anniversary Historical Brochure.
- WCTRS-Y Young Researchers’ Initiative: Hosted 44 presented papers across 9 tracks, student PhD grants, and the 50th Anniversary Manifesto Competition.
- Technical Tours & Industry Integration: Engaged key regional transport stakeholders including Airbus, SNCF, and Air France.
WCTR 2026 Conference Award Winners
We extend our warmest congratulations to all the authors and researchers recognized for outstanding contributions during the 17th WCTR:
Jules Dupuit Prize 2026
Awarded to Professor Yoshitsugu Hayashi, in recognition of a record of outstanding scientific work, a reputation for truly international activity including involvement in global networks, and significant contributions to and reputation within WCTRS.
WCTRS Grand Prize for Best WCTR Paper
Awarded for the best paper presented at WCTR 2026.
Title: The Political Economy of Taxing the Use of Electric Cars
Authors: Bruno De Borger (University of Antwerp) and Stef Proost (KULeuven)
WCTRS Young Researcher Prize
Awarded for the best paper by authors under 35 years old.
Title: Dynamic Core Profiles: Quantifying Temporal Stability of Walk-Oriented Activity Zones via Multilayer Community Detection
Authors: Shumpei Kiriki, Mikiharu Arimura (Muroran Institute of Technology)
Title: From Short to Long Hauls: How Uncertain Waiting Times Shape Relay Transport Adoption in Trucking
Authors: Zeying Wena, Xin Doub, Tao Fenga (Hiroshima University)
Cairo University Prize
Awarded for the Best WCTR Paper on Transport in Developing Countries.
Title: Fare or Unfair? The Hidden Inequities in Bangkok’s Bus Pricing
Authors: Patanapong Sanghatawatana, Apiwat Ratanawaraha (Chulalongkorn University)
WCTRS Poster Prize
Recognizing the best poster presentation across all conference tracks.
Title: Exploring the Significance of Care Trips in Daily Mobility
Authors: Naomi Panjaitan and Susan Pike, University of California, Davis
WCTRS Topic Area Awards
Recognizing the best paper in each WCTRS Topic Area.
Topic Area A – Transport Modes – General
Title: Short-Haul Ban or Zero Emission Aircraft? Balancing Social Welfare and Emissions Control
Authors: Yan Liu (PolyU)
Topic Area B – Freight Transport and Logistics
Title: Precarious Work in Last-Mile Logistics: Subcontracting Practices and Policy Implications
Authors: Ivan Cardenas (Chalmers), Jia Zhang, Wouter Verheyen, Joris Beckers (Univ of Antwerp)
Topic Area C – Traffic Management, Operations and Safety
Title: Application of the Geographically Weighting Technique to the Machine Learning Algorithm for Fatal Traffic Accident Prediction
Authors: Seokwon Min, Dongjoo Park (Univ of Seoul)
Topic Area D – Activity and Transport Demand
Title: Characterizing Urban Functional Use Between Adjacent Metro Stations with an Embedding Framework Using Multi-modal Data Sequences: A Case Study in Hong Kong
Authors: Yunting Miao, Xintian Liu, Jiali Zhou, Jiangping Zhou (HKU)
Topic Area E – Transport Economics and Finance
Title: Assessing the Effects of Autonomous Vehicles in the Netherlands: A Spatial General-Equilibrium Analysis
Authors: Diego Candia, Erik T. Verhoef, Saul Basurto (VU Amsterdam)
Topic Area F – Transport, Land Use and Sustainability
Title: Towards Zero-Emission Maritime Transport: A Multi-Objective Optimization Model for Passenger Ferry Network Electrification
Authors: Luyun Zhaoa, Zhan Zhao (HKU)
Topic Area G – Transport Planning and Policy
Title: Multi-Residence and Modal Choices: A Matter of Accessibility?
Authors: Jules Grandvillemin (EPFL), Florian Masse (tpg), Philippe Gerber (LISER), Vincent Kaufmann, Guillaume Drevon, Eloi Bernier (EPFL)
Topic Area H – Transport in Developing and Emerging Countries
Title: Mobility Equity and Activity Diversity: Evidence from Kinshasa City, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Yuma Tsumura (Institute of Science Tokyo), Hirohisa Kawaguchi (OC Global), Shinya Hanaoka (Institute of Science Tokyo)
