Reasonable scheduling for arrival–departure track operations in railway stations

ABSTRACT

We analyze the train types handled at a section station and the factors affecting the scheduling of the arrival–departure track operation, using the following conditions as our optimization goals: operating the arrival–departure tracks in accordance with a fixed operation scheme, and reducing the influence which the departing–receiving operations impose on shunting operations. We establish a 0–1 integer programming model for formulating a track operation plan. By applying modern sequencing theory, this is transformed into a fixed sequencing model of special parallel machines. We then design a heuristic algorithm to solve the model. Finally, the example of Yiyang railway station is used to verify the advantages of the model and the algorithm. A better operation plan is obtained using MATLAB 7.0 by applying the model and the algorithm provided in the paper, indicating the superiority of our study’s approach.

KEYWORDS:

• Railway
• section station
• track operation plan
• arrival–departure
• modern sequencing theory
• heuristic algorithm

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank the anonymous referees for their comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This paper is supported by the National Natural Science Fund Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 71371193] and [grant number 71501190].