Combinatorial Optimization Model for Railway Engine Assignment Problem

This paper presents an experimental study for the Hungarian State Railway Company (MÁV). The engine assignment problem was solved at MÁV by their experts without using any explicit operations research tool. Furthermore, the operations research model was not known at the company. The goal of our project was to introduce and solve an operations research model for the engine assignment problem on real data sets. For the engine assignment problem we are using a combinatorial optimization model. At this stage of research the single type train that is pulled by a single type engine is modeled and solved for real data. There are two regions in Hungary where the methodology described in this paper can be used and MÁV started to use it regularly. There is a need to generalize the model for multiple type trains and multiple type engines.