This paper describes the development and implementation of an optimization model used to resolve disruptions to an operating schedule in the rail industry. Alterations to the existing train timetable and crewing roster are made simultaneously in real time—previous treatments in the literature have always decoupled these two problems and solved them in series. An integer programming model is dev...

We introduce the subject of bus and train driver scheduling, and outline some early attempts at solutions based on heuristics, explaining their limitations. We then examine one successful blend of heuristics and integer linear programming leading to the TRACS II system which is in regular use in a wide range of transport organisations. Again we discuss the limitations of this system. In order t...

Broken rails are the most common cause of severe freighttrain derailments on American railroads. Reducing the occurrence of broken-rail-caused derailments is an important safety objective for the railroad industry. The current practice is to periodically inspect rails using non-destructive technologies such as ultrasonic inspection. Determining the optimal rail defect inspection frequency is a ...

the evaluation and control of the trains induced vibrations needs even more attention in the case of underground tracks which passes near to monuments and historical sites. the rail corrugations which occur due to the wheels’ impulse loads during the operation period of underground railway tracks, usually amplify the ground borne noise and vibration. in the current study, the mentioned phenomen...

Urban rail crew scheduling problem is to allocate train services to crews based on a given train timetable while satisfying all the operational and contractual requirements. In this paper, we present a new mathematical programming model with the aim of minimizing both the related costs of crew duty and the variance of duty time spreads. In addition to iincorporating the commonly encountered cre...

Rail irregularity is one of the most effective factors in train derailment. theste irregularities have generally random distribution that are assumed to be stationary random and ergodic processes in space, with Gaussian amplitude probabiliy densities and zero mean values. The quality of irregularities, their distribution along the rails and wagon speed are the main factors for train derailment ...

Broken rails are the most frequent cause of freight-train derailments in the United States. Consequently, reducing their occurrence is a high priority for the rail industry and the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration. Current practice is to periodically inspect rails to detect defects using nondestructive technology such as ultrasonic inspection. Determining the optimal rail inspection frequen...

With the rapid increase of passenger volume, the interval of some rail transit lines in China has reached a minimum value, which makes turn-back capacity one of the main capacity-limiting factors instead of section headway, particularly during the peak hours on workdays. A general simulation modeling framework and algorithm in which the divide and conquer rule is adopted for train scheduling pr...