The DONS rail scheduling system

This paper describes a system for automated rail scheduling currently being developed at Dutch Rail (NS). This system will be used initially to base infrastructure decisions upon. Rail infrastructure poses constraints upon the rail schedules that can be made within it, because of the large extent in which trains share it. Good infrastructure is the one that allows good schedules. The Petri net based ExSpect editor is used to model infrastructure variants and to help converting them into schedule constraints. With OR techniques, schedules are then made generated. ExSpect is then used to simulate the execution of these schedules within their infrastructure. Acknowledgements The authors are indebted to prof. Bertrand (EUT) and dr. Smeets (NS) for initiating and to all DONS team members from NS and BMC for maintaining an interesting cooperation. Most of the ideas within the present paper result from team work; we do not claim credit for them.