Coordinated cruise control for high-speed train movements based on a multi-agent model

This paper investigates the coordinated cruise control strategy for multiple high-speed trains’ movement. The motion of an ordered set of high-speed trains running on a railway line is modeled by a multi-agent system, in which each train communicates with its neighboring trains to adjust its speed. By using the potential fields and LaSalles invariance principle, we design a new coordinated cruise control strategy for each train based on the neighboring trains’ information, under which each train can track the desired speed, and the headway distances between any two neighboring trains are stabilized in a safety range. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.     

High-Speed Rail Operations on an Existing Network: An Assessment Model for China

High-speed rail operations have the potential to reduce the long-term decline in rail passenger travel demand for the medium to long distance inter-urban markets. Such decline has been evident through most of the industrialized countries where air and road transport tend to be the dominant modes. In China, the operations of long distance high-speed rail on fully dedicated track is not very easy to implement, due to the high proportion of passengers who travel between high-speed and conventional railways. An alternative approach would be to allow for mixed operations with trains of various speeds on the same track. This article puts forward a simulation model designed to allow an evaluation of the most efficient distance for high-speed rail operations under mixed train speed scenarios. The model takes into account the main operating parameters such as passenger volumes, train speeds, capital and maintenance costs, train operating costs and energy consumption. The distance of high-speed train running on conventional rail that will yield the most economic benefit can be estimated using the model. The article includes the results of using the model for a specific example. It is concluded that large-scale high-speed trains have the potential to be successfully operated on conventional rail networks.     

Designing an integrated distribution system for catering services for high-speed railways: A three-echelon location routing model with tight time windows and time deadlines

An emerging task in catering services for high-speed railways (CSHR) is to design a distribution system for the delivery of high-quality perishable food products to trains in need. This paper proposes a novel model for integrating location decision making with daily rail catering operations, which are affected by various aspects of rail planning, to meet time-sensitive passenger demands. A three-echelon location routing problem with time windows and time budget constraints (3E-LRPTWTBC) is thus proposed toward formulating this integrated distribution system design problem. This model attempts to determine the capacities/locations of distribution centers and to optimize the number of meals delivered to stations. The model also attempts to generate a schedule for refrigerated cars traveling from distribution centers to rail stations for train loading whereby meals can be catered to trains within tight time windows and sold before a specified time deadline. By relaxing the time-window constraints, a relaxation model that can be solved using an off-the-shelf mixed integer programming (MIP) solver is obtained to provide a lower bound on the 3E-LRPTWTBC. A hybrid cross entropy algorithm (HCEA) is proposed to solve the 3E-LRPTWTBC. A small-scale case study is implemented, which reveals a 9.3% gap between the solution obtained using the HCEA and that obtained using the relaxation model (RM). A comparative analysis of the HCEA and an exhaustive enumeration algorithm indicates that the HCEA shows good performance in terms of computation time. Finally, a case study considering 156 trains on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed corridor and a large-scale case study considering 1130 trains on the Chinese railway network are addressed in a comprehensive study to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed models and algorithm.     

Multi-objective optimization of train routing problem combined with train scheduling on a high-speed railway network

Based on train scheduling, this paper puts forward a multi-objective optimization model for train routing on high-speed railway network, which can offer an important reference for train plan to provide a better service. The model does not only consider the average travel time of trains, but also take the energy consumption and the user satisfaction into account. Based on this model, an improved GA is designed to solve the train routing problem. The simulation results demonstrate that the accurate algorithm is suitable for a small-scale network, while the improved genetic algorithm based on train control (GATC) applies to a large-scale network. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of the parameters is performed to obtain the ideal parameters; a perturbation analysis shows that the proposed method can quickly handle the train disturbance.     

Train routing and timetabling problem for heterogeneous train traffic with switchable scheduling rules

This paper proposes a mathematical model for the train routing and timetabling problem that allows a train to occasionally switch to the opposite track when it is not occupied, which we define it as switchable scheduling rule. The layouts of stations are taken into account in the proposed mathematical model to avoid head-on and rear-end collisions in stations. In this paper, train timetable could be scheduled by three different scheduling rules, i.e., no switchable scheduling rule (No-SSR) which allows trains switching track neither at stations and segments, incomplete switchable scheduling rule (In-SSR) which allows trains switching track at stations but not at segments, and complete switchable scheduling rule (Co-SSR) which allows trains switching track both at stations and segments. Numerical experiments are carried out on a small-scale railway corridor and a large-scale railway corridor based on Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway (HSR) corridor respectively. The results of case studies indicate that Co-SSR outperforms the other two scheduling rules. It is also found that the proposed model can improve train operational efficiency.     

Multiple-phase train trajectory optimization with signalling and operational constraints

The train trajectory optimization problem aims at finding the optimal speed profiles and control regimes for a safe, punctual, comfortable, and energy-efficient train operation. This paper studies the train trajectory optimization problem with consideration of general operational constraints as well as signalling constraints. Operational constraints refer to time and speed restrictions from the actual timetable, while signalling constraints refer to the influences of signal aspects and automatic train protection on train operation. A railway timetable provides each train with a train path envelope, which consists of a set of positions on the route with a specified target time and speed point or window. The train trajectory optimization problem is formulated as a multiple-phase optimal control model and solved by a pseudospectral method. This model is able to capture varying gradients and speed limits, as well as time and speed constraints from the train path envelope. Train trajectory calculation methods under delay and no-delay situations are discussed. When the train follows the planned timetable, the train trajectory calculation aims at minimizing energy consumption, whereas in the case of delays the train trajectory is re-calculated to track the possibly adjusted timetable with the aim of minimizing delays as well as energy consumption. Moreover, the train operation could be affected by yellow or red signals, which is taken into account in the train speed regulation. For this purpose, two optimization policies are developed with either limited or full information of the train ahead. A local signal response policy ensures that the train makes correct and quick responses to different signalling aspects, while a global green wave policy aims at avoiding yellow signals and thus proceed with all green signals. The method is applied in a case study of two successive trains running on a corridor with various delays showing the benefit of accurate predictive information of the leading train on energy consumption and train delay of the following train.     

高速铁路桥上无缝线路制动附加力研究

制动荷载是高速铁路桥梁的重要荷载，但高速列车在双线高速铁路桥梁上单向或双线对向制动时，制动荷载并不具有对称性，而双线高速铁路整孔箱形梁具有很强的空间性，平面力学模型不能很好反映上述工况，有着很大的局限性。本文在吸收专家研究成果的基础上，建立了梁轨相互作用三维有限元空间力学模型，并用该模型对高速列车在桥上不同制动工况下引...     

Scheduling and platforming trains at busy complex stations

We consider the problem of train planning or scheduling for large, busy, complex train stations, which are common in Europe and elsewhere, though not in North America. We develop the constraints and objectives for this problem, but these are too computationally complex to solve by standard combinatorial search or integer programming methods. Also, the problem is somewhat political in nature, that is, it does not have a clear objective function because it involves multiple train operators with conflicting interests. We therefore develop scheduling heuristics analogous to those successfully adopted by train planners using “manual” methods. We tested the model and algorithms by applying to a typical large station that exhibits most of the complexities found in practice. The results compare well with those found by traditional methods, and take account of cost and preference trade-offs not handled by those methods. With successive refinements, the algorithm eventually took only a few seconds to run, the time depending on the version of the algorithm and the scheduling problem. The scheduling models and algorithms developed and tested here can be used on their own, or as key components for a more general system for train scheduling for a rail line or network.Train scheduling for a busy station includes ensuring that there are no conflicts between several hundred trains per day going in and out of the station on intersecting paths from multiple in-lines and out-lines to multiple platforms, while ensuring that each train is allowed at least its minimum required headways, dwell time, turnaround time and trip time. This has to be done while minimizing (costs of) deviations from desired times, platforms or lines, allowing for conflicts due to through-platforms, dead-end platforms, multiple sub-platforms, and possible constraints due to infrastructure, safety or business policy.     

动卧客运与快递货运的高速铁路夜间能力利用模式

目前我国高速铁路的日间行车能力已得到了较为充分的利用,而如何组织好高铁夜间垂直天窗与夜行列车之间的耦合关系、用好高铁夜间能力,是适应多样化市场需求的需要,也是进一步提升高铁经营效益的有效途径。对此,本文提出了动卧列车和货运动车组两种相对可行的高铁夜间运输产品,分别对其产品特征进行了分析,充分考虑高铁夜间天窗制约下两种列车的开行模式,基于市场需求提出了列车开行策略,并在充分对比两种产品的经济效益、客(货)源组织、能力分配等因素的基础上,给出了高铁夜间能力发展建议。     

Standardization of capacity unit for headway-based rail capacity analysis

Determining the required capacity upgrades to accommodate future demand is a critical process in assisting public and private financing of capacity investments. Conventional railway systems usually operate multiple types of trains on the same track. These different types of trains can exert substantially different capacity impact, and can cause serious operational conflicts. In the past, rail line capacity is commonly defined as the maximum number of trains that can be operated on a section of track within a given time period. However, a specific unit (trains/hr or trains/day) does not reflect the heterogeneity of train types. According to the concept of base train equivalents (BTE) and base train unit (BTU), this study developed headway-based models to determine BTE for transforming different train types into a standard unit (i.e., BTU). An approximate method for lines with three and more types of trains was also proposed to compute BTEs for non-base trains. Results from the case studies demonstrate that this method enables the standardization of rail capacity unit, facilitates assessment of the impact from heterogeneous trains, and allows comparison and evaluation of the capacity measurements from different lines and systems.     

Integrated optimization on train scheduling and preventive maintenance time slots planning

We address the problem of simultaneously scheduling trains and planning preventive maintenance time slots (PMTSs) on a general railway network. Based on network cumulative flow variables, a novel integrated mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is proposed to simultaneously optimize train routes, orders and passing times at each station, as well as work-time of preventive maintenance tasks (PMTSs). In order to provide an easy decomposition mechanism, the limited capacity of complex tracks is modelled as side constraints and a PMTS is modelled as a virtual train. A Lagrangian relaxation solution framework is proposed, in which the difficult track capacity constraints are relaxed, to decompose the original complex integrated train scheduling and PMTSs planning problem into a sequence of single train-based sub-problems. For each sub-problem, a standard label correcting algorithm is employed for finding the time-dependent least cost path on a time-space network. The resulting dual solutions can be transformed to feasible solutions through priority rules. Numerical experiments are conducted on a small artificial network and a real-world network adapted from a Chinese railway network, to evaluate the effectiveness and computational efficiency of the integrated optimization model and the proposed Lagrangian relaxation solution framework. The benefits of simultaneously scheduling trains and planning PMTSs are demonstrated, compared with a commonly-used sequential scheduling method.     

长途跨线高速列车直达与中转选择问题

我国快速客运网基本形成,长途跨线列车直达与中转选择对于高速列车开行方案设计至关重要。为提升长途跨线高速列车开行效益和服务品质,按长途跨线列车直达与中转方式对比的思路,以旅客出行需求、基础设施能力、移动设备能力等多方面因素对长途跨线列车开行方式的影响为约束条件,研究长途跨线列车直达与中转选择模型及求解方法。选取2025年15个长途跨线起讫点为对象进行案例研究,提出D站—E站、F站—D站等9个起迄点之间开行长途跨线直达列车的建议方案,研究表明直达与中转换乘选择模型能够解决长途跨线列车开行方案编制问题。     

The variation in the value of travel-time savings and the dilemma of high-speed rail in China

This paper examines the variation in the value of travel-time savings (VTTS), a fundamental element determining the market demand for high-speed rail. Following a review of time allocation theories, a time allocation model for general travel behavior is proposed as a further elaboration of Evans’ (1972) activities analysis. There are relationships among activities that can be expressed using a linear inequality to show the constraints on the arrangement of activities. This model indicates that two or more activities can be simultaneously rearranged to improve time management, which may be a source of variation in VTTS. This time allocation model can explain why large-scale high-speed rail construction in China faces significant market risks and a high likelihood of economic loss. Data from a new ticket sales and booking system for railway passengers indicate that passengers prefer conventional overnight sleeper trains, rather than high-speed trains, for long-distance travel, which supports the analysis of the time allocation model.     

Exploring passenger anxiety associated with train travel

Although people are often encouraged to use public transportation, the riding experience is not always comfortable. This study uses service items to measure passenger anxieties by applying a conceptual model based on the railway passenger service chain perspective. Passenger anxieties associated with train travel are measured using a modern psychometric method, the Rasch model. This study surveys 412 train passengers. Analytical results indicate that the following service items cause passenger anxiety during trains travel: crowding, delays, accessibility to a railway station, searching for the right train on a platform, and transferring trains. Empirical results obtained using the Rasch approach can be used to derive an effective strategy to reduce train passenger anxiety. This empirical study also demonstrates that anxiety differs based on passenger sex, age, riding frequency, and trip type. This information will also prove useful for transportation planners and policy-makers when considering the special travel needs of certain groups to create a user-friendly railway travel environment that promotes public use.     

A practical capacity model of a single track line

The paper presents a model for determining the practical capacity of a single track line, i.e. the maximum number of trains which can be run along it in a time unit under the condition that each train enters its bottleneck segment with a definite delay.

The input data used in the model are: geometrical characteristics of the bottleneck segment of the line under study, the intensity and structure of demand expressed by a number of trains which are run over the line in a given time unit, the scenario of traffic running over the line under study and the operational tactics of individual train categories processing on the bottleneck segment.

(Two tactics can be applied in the train processing on the line under study; first, the trains of individual categories are given different priorities in the processing, and second, all the trains have the same priority).

The output results of the model are average delays of trains of each category occurring within the train processing performed on the bottleneck segment of the line under study in a given time unit.     

Integrated modeling of high performance passenger and freight train planning on shared-use corridors in the US

This paper studies strategic level train planning for high performance passenger and freight train operations on shared-use corridors in the US. We develop a hypergraph-based, two-level approach to sequentially minimize passenger and freight costs while scheduling train services. Passenger schedule delay and freight lost demand are explicitly modeled. We explore different solution strategies and conclude that a problem-tailored linearized reformulation yields superior computational performance. Using realistic parameter values, our numerical experiments show that passenger cost due to schedule delay is comparable to in-vehicle travel time cost and rail fare. In most cases, marginal freight cost increase from scheduling more passenger trains is higher than marginal reduction in passenger schedule delay cost. The heterogeneity of train speed reduces the number of freight trains that can run on a corridor. Greater tolerance for delays could reduce lost demand and overall cost on the freight side. The approach developed in the paper could be applied to other scenarios with different parameter values.     

Efficient dispatching rules on double tracks with heterogeneous train traffic

The most natural and popular dispatching rule for double-track segments is to dedicate one track for trains traveling in one direction. However, sometimes passenger trains have to share some portions of the railway with freight trains and passenger trains are traveling faster and faster nowadays. The major drawback of this dedicated rule is that a fast train can be caught behind a slow train and experience significant knock-on delay. In this paper, we propose a switchable dispatching policy for a double-track segment. The new dispatching rule enables the fast train to pass the slow train by using the track traveled by trains in the opposite direction if the track is empty. We use queueing theory techniques to derive the delay functions of this policy. The numerical experiments show that a switchable policy can reduce the fast train knock-on delay by as high as 30% compared to a dedicated policy. When there are crossovers at the middle of the double-track segment, our proposed switchable policy can reduce the delay of the fast trains by as high as 65%.     

A proposal for cost-related and market-oriented train running charges

This paper examines some key aspects of a charging system for promoting railway transport, including charges reflecting a clear relationship with costs (transparency) and charges reflecting the quality of the infrastructure manager's service. Train running charges recover track-related costs and can help to develop a charging system that meets these requirements. To orient train running charges to the market, a method for processing track maintenance and renewal costs is proposed whereby the quality of the service provided by an infrastructure is measured according to its utility to the railway undertaking. To achieve transparency, a single indicator is used for cost planning and the subsequent levying of costs on railway undertakings. The paper includes an example of how proposed train running charges would be calculated according to data from 14 European countries. The example shows that short-distance trains generate the lowest maintenance and renewal costs, followed by long-distance trains and freight trains.     

Probabilistic analysis of the release of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tenders due to freight-train derailments

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) has emerged as a possible alternative fuel for freight railroads in the United States, due to the availability of cheap domestic natural gas and continued pursuit of environmental and energy sustainability. A safety concern regarding the deployment of LNG-powered trains is the risk of breaching the LNG tender car (a special type of hazardous materials car that stores fuel for adjacent locomotives) in a train accident. When a train is derailed, an LNG tender car might be derailed or damaged, causing a release and possible fire. This paper describes the first study that focuses on modeling the probability of an LNG tender car release incident due to a freight train derailment on a mainline. The model accounts for a number of factors such as FRA track class, method of operation, annual traffic density level, train length, the point of derailment, accident speed, the position(s) of the LNG tender(s) in a train, and LNG tender car design. The model can be applied to any specified route or network with LNG-fueled trains. The implementation of the model can be undertaken by the railroad industry to develop proactive risk management solutions when using LNG as an alternative railroad fuel.     

Coordination of last train transfers using automated fare collection (AFC) system data

This paper studies last train coordination problem for metro networks, aiming to maximize the total number of passengers who can reach their destinations by metro prior to the end of operation. The concept of last boarding time is defined as the latest time that passengers can board the last trains and reach final destinations. The corresponding method for calculating last boarding time is also put forward. With automatic fare collection system data, an optimization model for coordinating last trains is proposed. The objective function optimizes the number of passengers who can reach their final destinations during the train period using departure times and headways of last trains for each line as decision variables. Afterwards, an adaptive genetic algorithm is put forward to solve this model and is applied to a case study of the Shanghai metro system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.