Computation and evaluation of scheduled waiting time for railway networks

Timetables are affected by scheduled waiting time (SWT), which prolongs the travel times for trains and thereby passengers. SWT occurs when a train prevents another train from running at the necessary speed. The SWT affects both the trains and the passengers in the trains. The passengers may be further affected due to longer transfer times to other trains. SWT can be estimated analytically for a given timetable or by simulation of timetables and/or plans of operation. The simulation of SWT has the benefit of making it is possible to examine the entire network. This makes it possible to improve the future timetable by analyzing different timetables and/or plans of operation. This article presents methods to examine SWT by simulation for both trains and passengers in entire railway networks.