Train-scheduling optimization model for railway networks with multiplatform stations

This paper focuses on optimizing the schedule of trains on railway networks composed of busy complex stations. A mathematical formulation of this problem is provided as a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP). However, the creation of an optimal new timetable is an NP-hard problem; therefore, the MILP can be solved for easy cases, computation time being impractical for more complex examples. In these cases, a heuristic approach is provided that makes use of genetic algorithms to find a good solution jointly with heuristic techniques to generate an initial population. The algorithm was applied to a number of problem instances producing feasible, though not optimal, solutions in several seconds on a laptop, and compared to other proposals. Some improvements are suggested to obtain better results and further improve computation time. Rail transport is recognized as a sustainable and energy-efficient means of transport. Moreover, each freight train can take a large number of trucks off the roads, making them safer. Studies in this field can help to make railways more attractive to travelers by reducing operative cost, and increasing the number of services and their punctuality. To improve the transit system and service, it is necessary to build optimal train scheduling. There is an interest from the industry in automating the scheduling process. Fast computerized train scheduling, moreover, can be used to explore the effects of alternative draft timetables, operating policies, station layouts, and random delays or failures.Postprint (published version

A QoS-Aware Scheduling Algorithm for High-Speed Railway Communication System

With the rapid development of high-speed railway (HSR), how to provide the passengers with multimedia services has attracted increasing attention. A key issue is to develop an effective scheduling algorithm for multiple services with different quality of service (QoS) requirements. In this paper, we investigate the downlink service scheduling problem in HSR network taking account of end-to-end deadline constraints and successfully packet delivery ratio requirements. Firstly, by exploiting the deterministic high-speed train trajectory, we present a time-distance mapping in order to obtain the highly dynamic link capacity effectively. Next, a novel service model is developed for deadline constrained services with delivery ratio requirements, which enables us to turn the delivery ratio requirement into a single queue stability problem. Based on the Lyapunov drift, the optimal scheduling problem is formulated and the corresponding scheduling service algorithm is proposed by stochastic network optimization approach. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the conventional schemes in terms of QoS requirements.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted by IEEE ICC 2014 conferenc

A mixed-integer linear program for real-time train platforming management

Unexpected events may perturb operations and generate conflicts that must be addressed promptly to limit delay propagation and other negative impacts on the network. The real-time railway traffic management problem deals with disruptions in railway networks, including tracks, junctions and stations. When they happen in station areas, new decisions involving train platforming, rerouting, ordering and timing must be made in real time. This paper explores a mesoscopic approach to deal with disruptions at rail stations. A mathematical programming-based model is proposed to determine re-routing and re-scheduling decisions for railway traffic in a station area. The key steps of the approach, which simulate what happens in real-time traffic management, are: i) an initial off-line preprocessing stage of the set of feasible routes originally planned, ii) a second preprocessing stage which analyses the disruption and sets the necessary parameters for the last step iii), which consists of an integer programming model that seeks solutions which minimise deviations from planned train schedules and assigns new and appropriate platforms (if necessary). Computational experiments show that realistic instances can be solved near to optimality using CPLEX in very short times. This allows to consider this methodology for solving real time traffic management problems.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

An intelligent framework and prototype for autonomous maintenance planning in the rail industry

This paper details the development of the AUTONOM project, a project that aims to provide an enterprise system tailored to the planning needs of the rail industry. AUTONOM extends research in novel sensing, scheduling, and decision-making strategies customised for the automated planning of maintenance activities within the rail industry. This paper sets out a framework and software prototype and details the current progress of the project. In the continuation of the AUTONOM project it is anticipated that the combination of techniques brought together in this work will be capable of addressing a wider range of problem types, offered by Network rail and organisations in different industries

A review of key planning and scheduling in the rail industry in Europe and UK

Planning and scheduling activities within the rail industry have benefited from developments in computer-based simulation and modelling techniques over the last 25 years. Increasingly, the use of computational intelligence in such tasks is featuring more heavily in research publications. This paper examines a number of common rail-based planning and scheduling activities and how they benefit from five broad technology approaches. Summary tables of papers are provided relating to rail planning and scheduling activities and to the use of expert and decision systems in the rail industry.EPSR

Phase Synchronization in Railway Timetables

Timetable construction belongs to the most important optimization problems in public transport. Finding optimal or near-optimal timetables under the subsidiary conditions of minimizing travel times and other criteria is a targeted contribution to the functioning of public transport. In addition to efficiency (given, e.g., by minimal average travel times), a significant feature of a timetable is its robustness against delay propagation. Here we study the balance of efficiency and robustness in long-distance railway timetables (in particular the current long-distance railway timetable in Germany) from the perspective of synchronization, exploiting the fact that a major part of the trains run nearly periodically. We find that synchronization is highest at intermediate-sized stations. We argue that this synchronization perspective opens a new avenue towards an understanding of railway timetables by representing them as spatio-temporal phase patterns. Robustness and efficiency can then be viewed as properties of this phase pattern

A classification of predictive-reactive project scheduling procedures.

The vast majority of the project scheduling research efforts over the past several years have concentrated on the development of workable predictive baseline schedules, assuming complete information and a static and deterministic environment. During execution, however, a project may be subject to numerous schedule disruptions. Proactive-reactive project scheduling procedures try to cope with these disruptions through the combination of a proactive scheduling procedure for generating predictive baseline schedules that are hopefully robust in that they incorporate safety time to absorb anticipated disruptions with a reactive procedure that is invoked when a schedule breakage occurs during project execution.proactive-reactive project scheduling; time uncertainty; stability; timely project completion; preselective strategies; resource constraints; trade-off; complexity; stability; management; makespan; networks; subject; job;