An Overview and Categorization of Approaches for Train Timetable Generation

A train timetable is a crucial component of railway transportation systems as it directly impacts the system’s performance and the customer satisfaction. Various approaches can be found in the literature that deal with timetable generation. However, the approaches proposed in the literature differ significantly in terms of the use case for which they are in tended. Differences in objective function, timetable periodicity, and solution methods have led to a confusing number of works on this topic. Therefore, this paper presents a com pact literature review of approaches to train timetable generation. The reviewed papers are briefly summarized and categorized by objective function and periodicity. Special emphasis is given to approaches that have been applied to real-world railway data

Optimization models of rail transportation under the financial crisis

This paper proposes an analysis of the most used models to optimize the rail transportation. Are presented a series of optimization models of labor efficiency in this sector, but also elements that gives the information on the competitiveness of this mode of transport.railway, railway optimization, optimization models for railway

Integer programming based solution approaches for the train dispatching problem

Railroads face the challenge of competing with the trucking industry in a fastpaced environment. In this respect, they are working toward running freight trains on schedule and reducing travel times. The planned train schedules consist of departure and arrival times at main stations on the rail network. A detailed timetable, on the other hand, consists of the departure and arrival times of each train in each track section of its route. The train dispatching problem aims to determine detailed timetables over a rail network in order to minimize deviations from the planned schedule. We provide a new integer programming formulation for this problem based on a spacetime network; we propose heuristic algorithms to solve it and present computational results of these algorithms. Our approach includes some realistic constraints that have not been previously considered as well as all the assumptions and practical issues considered by the earlier works

Identification of Timetable Attractiveness Parameters by an International Literature Review

Timetable attractiveness is influenced by a set of key parameters which are described in this article. Regarding the superior structure of the timetable, the trend in Europe goes towards periodic regular interval timetables. Regular departures and focus on optimal transfer possi- bilities make these timetables attractive. The travel time in the timetable depends on charac- teristics of the infrastructure and rolling stock, heterogeneity of the planned train traffic and the necessary number of transfers on the passenger’s journey. Planned interdependencies be- tween trains, such as transfers and heterogeneous traffic, add complexity to the timetable. The risk of spreading initial delays to other trains and parts of the network increases with the level of timetable complexity

Danish Key Performance Indicators for Railway Timetables

Based on the first common list of Danish railway timetable evaluation criteria this paper presents a series of existing and newly developed key performance indicators (KPI) for railway timetables. Measuring the level of timetable capacity consumption is done by the well-known UIC 406 methodology. By introducing the concept of timetable patterns it becomes possible to measure how systematic a given timetable is. Robustness of the timetable depends much on the complexity of the planned railway traffic. With the application of timetable fix points a new powerful tool becomes available to measure the robustness potential of a timetable. Societal acceptance of an implemented timetable is crucial for its success. It can be measured with satisfaction surveys. These must be conducted by an independent non-departmental organization to ensure objectivity, as it is done by “Passenger Focus” in the United Kingdom. Short travel and transfer times make the railway competitive. The degree of deviation from the shortest possible travel and transfer time gives an overview of the socio-economic attractiveness of a given timetable. The new KPI have proven useful in their first trial. Most of the presented KPI must be calculated manually but have a high potential to be automated and integrated into future timetabling software packages. Few of the KPI demand a high level of knowledge about railway infrastructure characteristics and basic timetable train path structures. This makes a future automation more difficult. The first trial of the recommended timetable KPI has shown further development possibilities by e.g. looking separately at railway stations when applying the UIC 406 methodology and considering timetable pattern differences when calculating how systematic a timetable is

Railway operations, time-tabling and control

This paper concentrates on organising, planning and managing the train movement in a network. The three classic management levels for rail planning, i.e., strategic, tactical and operational, are introduced followed by decision support systems for rail traffic control. In addition, included in this paper are discussions on train operating forms, railway traffic control and train dispatching problems, rail yard technical schemes and performance of terminals, as well as timetable design. A description of analytical methods, simulation techniques and specific computer packages for analysing and evaluating the behaviour of rail systems and networks is also provided