01595789

Component

This paper discusses a set of cost functions for timetabling mainline train services. Mainline train services are generally heterogeneous which consist of passenger and freight trains, slow and express services, domestic and international connections, etc. The feasibility of a timetable is subject to a number of factors including availability of trains and crew, infrastructure capacity, and travel demand. With the complex nature of modern railway systems and the heterogeneity of rail traffic, deriving satisfactory train service schedules for passengers, train operators, and infrastructure manager is always a challenge. The cost functions presented here are used as indicators for evaluating different performance associated with the corresponding timetable. The performances of interest include carbon, capacity, cost, and customer satisfaction. These four performance indicators are also identified as the ’4C’ criteria by the railway industry in Great Britain. These 4C criteria are set in order to address the need to improve customer satisfaction (e.g. by providing more punctual service) and operational capacity, while decreasing operational cost and carbon emission. The authors also demonstrate the application of these cost functions into an optimization framework which derives optimal timetable for heterogeneous train services. The method is applied to Brighton Main Line in south-east England as a case study. The results reveal that overall performance of the railway systems can be achieved by re-scheduling and re-sequencing the train services through the optimization framework, while this may have to come at the expense of slow and local train services if the optimization is not properly formulated. .

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AR040 Standing Committee on Freight Rail Transportation.

01584066

16-4301

English

19p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Web

Figures; References (27)

Automated clearance; Case studies; Freight trains; Infrastructure; Optimization; Passenger trains; Railroad vehicle operations; Timetables

England

Economics; Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-4301

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 5:54PM