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.     

Applying social marginal cost pricing in rail PPPs: Present state, drawbacks and ways forward

The application of social marginal cost pricing (SMCP) in PPP's in the railway sector faces several challenges. We examine in detail the practical applicability of SMCP in railway PPPs from the perspectives of cost accounting and effectiveness of SMCP towards the allocative efficiency goal, addressing the likely drawbacks in conciliating the welfare objectives of SMCP with the objectives of project financing (cost recovery) and value for money that justify the realization of PPP's. To this end, we combine theoretical analysis with the observation of empirical results of a case study. We split the analysis per type of private service provision, which can be for service operation or infrastructure management. For infrastructure management, we recommend splitting the operator remuneration and the track access charges. For service operation, we argue that the correct decision on source of funding of the service operator should depend on the characteristics of the contract.     

Evaluating choice of traction option for a sustainable Indian Railways

The transport sector is a major contributor of carbon emissions in India. As railways are the most environment-friendly mode of transport we look at the spearheading role of Indian Railway (IR) in bringing about the modal shift from road and airways to rail with a holistic perspective considering India’s development stage and resource situation. India being an emerging economy, faces many other social and developmental challenges, which have to be incorporated in assessing the viability of the solutions. In order to assess the total impact of the transportation sector a ‘wells to wheels’ approach needs to be adopted to quantify the emissions from the production to distribution and final usages alongside its impact to the competing societal goals utilizing the same resources. This study focuses on evaluating IR’s critical policy decision towards providing efficient transport i.e. the choice of traction. It is inferred that until such time the fuel mix of power production in India remains the same, i.e. coal dominated and there is a shortage of electricity in the country, the accumulated carbon footprints of running electric locos will be higher. There should be a judicious mix of both the tractions to achieve a balance in environmental efficacy, sustainability and equity.     

Prospects for computer aided railway scheduling: perspectives from users and parallels from mass transit

Railway scheduling faces new challenges as competition and, in many parts of the world, privatisation require ever better results, both in terms of minimising the resources used and maximising the performance achieved by those resources. It is therefore surprising that in practice railway scheduling tasks appear to be performed largely without the use of optimizing models. This paper takes two different perspectives, a case study of user needs from the UK railway industry and a comparative analysis with mass transit scheduling systems, to consider why this might be and assesses what the future prospects are for computer aided railway scheduling.

A number of conclusions are drawn: that optimization models need to be integrated with software packages that meet schedulers' data management needs; that researchers need to work with commercial developers to achieve this integration; that there needs to be an emphasis on extending models to cover more real‐life circumstances; and that solutions with international applicability should be sought.     

中国铁路提速工程成套技术与装备

分析了中国既有铁路提速工程的复杂性及艰难性,重点阐述了提速关键技术的重大突破,表现在:(1)研制成功160km·h-1～200km·h-1"中华牌"具有自主知识产权的快速旅客列车及动车组,技术性能指标已达到国际同类产品先进水平。(2)研制成功既有线路轨道结构关键部件,如提速道岔,跨区间无缝线路等。(3)研制成功四显示速差式信号系统及列车运行控制系统。(4)建立提速安全管理和风险控制体系。(5)在运输组织与管理方面的创新。(6)在轮轨关系理论研究方面提出四项新的创见。(7)按照系统工程原理,研究并实施综合联调试验,实现大系统技术集成。由于提速工程的技术创新,我国首次在世界上实现了既有线160km·h-1快速列车与5000t重载列车同时开行的创举,全路每营业公里运量密度已居世界首位。由于提速关键技术的全面推广,取得了显著的经济效益及社会效益。     

基于时空序列的铁路客运量数据挖掘预测

在分析铁路客运量数据的时空复杂性特征的基础上,以铁路假日运输管理系统中春运期间的客运量数据为依据,采用BP神经网络的数据挖掘方法进行铁路客运量数据挖掘预测研究。通过BP神经网络的建模方法把客运量的空间属性、数据属性和时间属性有机地结合起来,将数据的建模含于网络的数值当中。网络在学习过程中系统误差始终保持持续稳定的下降趋势,没有产生局部振荡和陷入极小现象,整个学习过程中系统稳定性较好。各样本之间的期望输出和实际输出之间吻合较好,从而证明所采取的数据处理方法的有效性和网络学习参数的合理性。根据BP神经网络得到的预测模型在仿真试验中的期望输出和实际输出之间吻合较好,预测的客运量和实际客运量数值非常接近。     

铁路高浓度粪便污水处理的工艺设计

以某高铁动车段高浓度粪便污水为设计对象,处理规模为610 m~3/d,进水水质COD为3 300 mg/L,氨氮为1 500 mg/L。采用"厌氧氨氧化-MBR处理"的主体处理工艺,主要包括调节池、IC反应器、高负荷曝气池、一沉池、厌氧氨氧化反应器和MBR反应器等。详细介绍了工艺流程、各单元主要处理构筑物的设计参数及设备配置情况,并给出该工艺的处理效果。此外,对工艺的主要经济指标及技术特点进行了分析。所设计的工艺能较好地处理高COD、高氨氮、低碳氮比的粪便废水,确保出水水质达到《污水综合处理排放标准》(GB8978—1996)的二级标准,为后续铁路行业处理同类的污水处理提供参考。     

铁路综合视频监控系统浅谈

在分析铁路综合视频监控系统特点的基础上,介绍了系统管理模式及主要构成方式。     

铁路清算分析系统模拟环境数据库性能的调整

在铁道部清算分析系统模拟环境中,根据其应用特点,针对其搭建、安装和运行数据库过程中的问题,对Oracle数据库性能进行调整并提出具体可行的措施.     

铁路工程造价咨询机构加强自身建设的措施

在简要分析铁路工程造价机构面临的各种新形势的基础上，针对目前铁路工程造价咨询机构存在的不足．提出铁路工程造价咨询机构在新形势下加强自身建设应采取的措施。