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Cyclic Railway Timetabling: a Stochastic Optimization Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Kroon, L.G.
  • Dekker, R.
  • Vromans, M.J.C.M.

Abstract

Real-time railway operations are subject to stochastic disturbances. However, a railway timetable is a deterministic plan. Thus a timetable should be designed in such a way that it can absorb the stochastic disturbances as well as possible. To that end, a timetable contains buffer times between trains and supplements in running times and dwell times. This paper first describes a stochastic optimization model that can be used to find an optimal allocation of the running time supplements of a single train on a number of consecutive trips along the same line. The aim of this model is to minimize the average delay of the train. The model is then extended such that it can be used to improve a given cyclic timetable for a number of trains on a common infrastructure. Computational results show that the average delay of the trains can be reduced substantially by applying relatively small modifications to the timetable. In particular, allocating the running time supplements in a different way than what is usual in practice can be useful.

Suggested Citation

  • Kroon, L.G. & Dekker, R. & Vromans, M.J.C.M., 2005. "Cyclic Railway Timetabling: a Stochastic Optimization Approach," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2005-051-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    • Handle: RePEc:ems:eureri:6957
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. E. R. Petersen & A. J. Taylor, 1982. "A Structured Model for Rail Line Simulation and Optimization," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(2), pages 192-206, May.
    2. Hallowell, Susan F. & Harker, Patrick T., 1998. "Predicting on-time performance in scheduled railroad operations: methodology and application to train scheduling," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 279-295, May.
    3. Carey, Malachy, 1999. "Ex ante heuristic measures of schedule reliability," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 473-494, September.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gabrio Caimi & Dan Burkolter & Thomas Herrmann & Fabian Chudak & Marco Laumanns, 2009. "Design of a Railway Scheduling Model for Dense Services," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 25-46, March.
    2. Jespersen-Groth, J. & Potthoff, D. & Clausen, J. & Huisman, D. & Kroon, L.G. & Maróti, G. & Nielsen, M.N., 2007. "Disruption management in passenger railway transportation," Econometric Institute Research Papers EI 2007-05, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), Econometric Institute.
    3. C. Fretter & L. Krumov & K. Weihe & M. Müller-Hannemann & M.-T. Hütt, 2010. "Phase synchronization in railway timetables," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 77(2), pages 281-289, September.
    4. Dmitriy KOZACHENKO & Roman VERNIGORA & Vladimir BALANOV & Nikolay BEREZOVY & Lidiia YELNIKOVA & Yulia GERMANYUK, 2016. "Evaluation of the Transition to the Organization of Freight Trains Traffic By the Schedule," Transport Problems, Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Transport, vol. 11(1), pages 41-48, March.
    5. Matteo Fischetti & Domenico Salvagnin & Arrigo Zanette, 2009. "Fast Approaches to Improve the Robustness of a Railway Timetable," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(3), pages 321-335, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    buffer times; cyclic timetables; punctuality; railway transportation; stochastic optimization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics
    • M11 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Production Management
    • R4 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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