Timetable Synchronization for Buses

Abstract

The objective of this work is to create a timetable for a given network cf buses, in order to maximize the synchronization among the buses, namely, to maximize the number of simultaneous arrivals of buses at the connection nodes (transfer nodes) of the network. The data for the problem are as follows: a bus route network, including connection nodes of the bus routes; the number of bus departures for every bus route in the network, during a given time period [O,T]; the traveling time of each bus route to the nodes of the network; maximal and minimal headways between two adjacent departures for each bus route. The decision variables are the departure times of all buses for each route. Creating a timetable with maximal synchronization enables the transfer of passengers from one route to another, with minimum waiting time at the transfer nodes. This problem is a major concern to the public transportation designers, taking into account the satisfaction and convenience of the system’s users. In this work, the problem is formulated as a mixed integer programming problem, and a heuristic algorithm is developed to solve the problem in polynomial time.