Joint optimization of high-speed train timetables, speed levels and stop plans for increasing capacity based on a compressed multilayer space-time network

With the steady increase in passenger volume of high-speed railways in China, some high-speed railway sections have faced a difficult situation. To provide more transport services, it is necessary to add as many trains as possible in a section to increase capacity. To solve this problem, a compressed multilayer space-time network model is constructed with the maximum number of trains that can be scheduled in the train timetable as the objective. The combination of the train stop plan and speed level is represented by the layer of network where the train is located, and constraints such as train selection, train safety, train overtake and cross-line trains are considered. A method based on timing-cycle iterative optimization is designed to decompose the original problem into multiple subproblems, and the solving order of the subproblems is determined by a heuristic greedy rule. Taking the Beijing-Jinan section of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway as an example, the maximum number of trains was increased by 12.5% compared with the timetable before optimization. The saturated timetables provide detailed schedules, which helps decision-makers better adjust the timetable to run more trains.