Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Railway Track Allocation - Simulation, Aggregation, and Optimization

  • Conference paper
Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on High-Speed and Intercity Railways

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering ((LNEE,volume 148))

Abstract

Today the railway timetabling process and the track allocation is one of the most challenging problems to solve by a railway company. Especially due to the deregulation of the transport market in the recent years several suppliers of railway traffic have entered the market in Europe. This leads to more potential conflicts between trains caused by an increasing demand of train paths. Planning and operating railway transportation systems is extremely hard due to the combinatorial complexity of the underlying discrete optimization problems, the technical intricacies, and the immense size of the problem instances. In order to make best use of the infrastructure and to ensure economic operation, efficient planning of the railway operation is indispensable. Mathematical optimization models and algorithms can help to automatize and tackle these challenges. Our contribution in this paper is to present a renewed planning process due to the liberalization in Europe and an associated concept for track allocation, which consists of three important parts, simulation, aggregation, and optimization. Furthermore, we present results of our general framework for real world data.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Abbink, Fischetti, Kroon, Timmer, Vromans: Reinventing Crew Scheduling at Netherlands Railways. Interfaces 35(5), 393–401 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albers: Online algorithms: a survey. Math, Program 97(1-2), 3–26 (2003)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Anderegg, Eidenbenz, Gantenbein, Stamm, Taylor, Weber, Widmayer: Train Routing Algorithms: Concepts, Design Choises, and Practical Considerations. In: Ladner (ed.) ALENEX, pp. 106–118. SIAM (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnhart, Laporte: Handbooks in Operations Research & Management Science: Transportation. North-Holland (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnier, Brisset, Rivire, Ere: Slot Allocation with Constraint Programming: Mod¬els and Results. In: Proc. of the Fourth International Air Traffic Management R&D Seminar ATM (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bengtsson, L., Galia, R., Gustafsson, T., Hjorring, C., Kohl, N.: Railway Crew Pairing Optimization. In: Geraets, F., Kroon, L.G., Schoebel, A., Wagner, D., Zaroliagis, C.D. (eds.) Railway Optimization 2004. LNCS, vol. 4359, pp. 126–144. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Borndörfer, Erol, Graffagnino, Schlechte, Swarat: Optimizing the Simplon Railway Corridor, ZIB Report 10-24, ZIB, Takustr. 7, 14195 Berlin (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Borndörfer, Erol, Schlechte: Optimization of macroscopic train schedules via TS-OPT. In: Hansen, Wendler, Weidmann, Lüthi, Rodriguez, Ricci, Kroon (eds.) Proceedings of the 3rd International Seminar on Railway Operations Modelling and Analysis-Engineering and Optimisation Approaches, Zürich, Switzerland (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Borndörfer, Grötschel, Jaeger: Planungsprobleme im öffentlichen Verkehr. In: Grötschel, M., Lucas, K., Mehrmann, V. (eds.) Produktionsfaktor Mathema-Tikwie Mathematik Technik und Wirtschaft bewegt, acatech Diskutiert, ZIB Report 08-20, pp. 127–153. acatech – Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften und Springer, Heidelberg (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Borndörfer, Grötschel, Jaeger: Planning Problems in Public Transit, ZIB Report 09-13, ZIB, Takustr. 7, 14195 Berlin (2009); To appear in English translations of acatech book

    Google Scholar 

  • Borndörfer, Grötschel, Lukac, Mitusch, Schlechte, Schultz, Tanner: An Auctioning Approach to Railway Slot Allocation. An Auctioning Approach to Railway Slot Allocation 1(2), 163–196 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  • Borndörfer, Grötschel, Pfetsch: A Column-Generation Approach to Line Planning in Public Transport. Transportation Science 41(1), 123–132 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borndörfer, Schlechte: Models for Railway Track Allocation. In: Liebchen, Ahuja, Mesa (eds.) ATMOS 2007 - 7th Workshop on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modeling, Optimization, and Systems, Internationales Begegnungs- und Forschungszentrum für Informatik (IBFI). Schloss Dagstuhl, Germany (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Borndörfer, Schlechte, Weider: Railway Track Allocation by Rapid Branching. In: Erlebach, Lübbecke (eds.) Proceedings of the 10th Workshop on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems. OASIcs, vol. 14, pp. 13–23. Schloss Dagstuhl–Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Informatik, Germany (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brännlund, Lindberg, Nou, Nilsson: Railway Timetabling using Langangian Relaxation. Transportation Science 32(4), 358–369 (1998)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Bussieck: Optimal lines in public rail transport, PhD thesis, TU Braunschweig (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bussieck, Winter, Zimmermann: Discrete optimization in public rail transport. Mathematical Programming 79B(1-3), 415–444 (1997)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Cacchiani: Models and Algorithms for Combinatorial Optimization Problems arising in Railway Applications, PhD thesis, DEIS, Bologna (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cacchiani, Caprara, Toth: A column generation approach to train timetabling on a corridor 4OR(2), 125–142 (2008)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Cai, Goh: A fast heuristic for the train scheduling problem. Comput. Oper. Res. 21(5), 499–510 (1994)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Caimi: Algorithmic decision support for train scheduling in a large and highly utilised railway network, PhD thesis, ETH Zurich (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Caimi, Burkolter, Herrmann: Finding Delay-Tolerant Train Routings through Stations. In: Fleuren, den Hertog, Kort (eds.) OR, pp. 136–143 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  • Caimi, Burkolter, Herrmann, Chudak, Laumanns: Design of a Railway Scheduling Model for Dense Services. Networks and Spatial Economics 9(1), 25–46 (2009)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Caprara, Fischetti, Toth: Modeling and Solving the Train Timetabling Problem. Operations Research 50(5), 851–861 (2002)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Caprara, Galli, Toth: Solution of the Train Platforming Problem. In: Liebchen, Ahuja, Mesa (eds.) ATMOS, Dagstuhl Seminar Proceedings, Internationales Begegnungs-und Forschungszentrum fuer Informatik (IBFI), vol. 07001, Schloss Dagstuhl, Germany (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Caprara, Kroon, Monaci, Peeters, Toth: Passenger Railway Optimization. In: Barnhart, C., Laporte, G. (eds.) Handbooks in Operations Research and Management Science, ch. 3, vol. 14, pp. 129–187. Elsevier (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Caprara, Monaci, Toth, Guida: A Lagrangian heuristic algorithm for a real-world train timetabling problem. Discrete Appl. Math. 154(5), 738–753 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Castelli, Pellegrini & Pesenti: Airport slot allocation in Europe: economic efficiency and fairness”, Working Papers 197, Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Venice (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Clausen, Larsen, Larsen, Rezanova: Disruption management in the airline industry-Concepts, models and methods. Comput. Oper. Res. 37(5), 809–821 (2010)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Corman, D’Ariano, Pacciarelli, Pranzo: Bi-objective conflict detection and resolution in railway traffic management. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies (2010a) (in Press, Corrected Proof)

    Google Scholar 

  • Corman, D’Ariano, Pacciarelli, Pranzo: A tabu search algorithm for rerouting trains during rail operations. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological 44(1), 175–192 (2010b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Ariano, Corman, Pacciarelli, Pranzo: Reordering and Local Rerouting Strategies to Manage Train Traffic in Real Time. Transportation Science 42(4), 405–419 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delorme, Gandibleux, Rodriguez: Stability evaluation of a railway timetable at station level. European Journal of Operational Research 195(3), 780–790 (2009)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Eidenbenz, S., Pagourtzis, A., Widmayer, P.: Flexible Train Rostering. In: Ibaraki, T., Katoh, N., Ono, H. (eds.) ISAAC 2003. LNCS, vol. 2906, pp. 615–624. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Erol, Klemenz, Schlechte, Schultz, Tanner: TTPLIB 2008-A Library for Train Timetabling Problems. In: Allan, J., Arias, E., Brebbia, C.A., Goodman, C., Rumsey, A.F., Sciutto, G. (eds.) Computers in Railways XI. WIT Press (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fioole, Kroon, Maróti, Schrijver: A rolling stock circulation model for combining and splitting of passenger trains. European Journal of Operational Research 174(2), 1281–1297 (2006)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, Helmberg: Dynamic Graph Generation and Dynamic Rolling Horizon Techniques in Large Scale Train Timetabling. In: Erlebach, Lübbecke (eds.) Proceedings of the 10th Workshop on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems, OASIcs, vol. 14, pp. 45–60. Schloss Dagstuhl–Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Informatik, Germany (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, Helmberg, Janßen, Krostitz: Towards Solving Very Large Scale Train Timetabling Problems by Lagrangian Relaxation. In: Fischetti, Widmayer (eds.) ATMOS 2008, 8th Workshop on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modeling, Optimization, and Systems. Schloss Dagstuhl-Leibniz-Zentrumfuer Informatik, Germany (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuchsberger: Solving the train scheduling problem in a main station area via a resource constrained space-time integer multi-commodity flow, Master’s thesis, Institut for Operations Research ETH Zürich (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Grönkvist: The Tail Assignment Problem, PhD thesis, Chalmers University of Technology and Göteborg University (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Grötschel, Krumke, Rambau: Online Optimization of Large Scale Systems. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Hanne, Dornberger: Optimization Problems in Airline and Railway Planning-A Comparative Survey. In: Proceedings of the The Third International Workshop on Advanced Computational Intelligence (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrod: Modeling Network Transition Constraints with Hypergraphs. Transportation Science 10, 293–310 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hürlimann: Object oriented modeling of infrastructure elements and business processes in railways, PhD thesis, ETH Zürich (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jespersen-Groth, Potthoff, Clausen, Huisman, Kroon, Maroti, Nielsen: Disruption management in passenger railway transportation, Econometric Institute Report EI 2007-05, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Econometric Institute (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jespersen-Groth, J., Potthoff, D., Clausen, J., Huisman, D., Kroon, L., Maróti, G., Nielsen, M.N.: Disruption Management in Passenger Railway Transportation. In: Ahuja, R.K., Möhring, R.H., Zaroliagis, C.D. (eds.) Robust and Online Large-Scale Optimization. LNCS, vol. 5868, pp. 399–421. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Klabes: Algorithmic railway capacity allocation in a competitive European railway market, PhD thesis, RWTH Aachen (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kroon, Huisman, Abbink, Fioole, Fischetti, Maróti, Schrijver, Steenbeek, Ybema: The New Dutch Timetable: The OR Revolution. Interfaces 39(1), 6–17 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landex, Schittenhelm, Kaas, Schneider-Tilli: Capacity measurement with the UIC 406 capacity method. In: Tomii, Allan, Arias, Brebbia, Goodman, Rumsey, Sciutto (eds.) Computers in Railways XI. WIT Press (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liebchen: Periodic Timetable Optimization in Public Transport, PhD thesis, Technische Universität Berlin (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  • Löbel: Optimal Vehicle Scheduling in Public Transit, Aachen: Shaker Verlag, Ph.D. thesis, Technische Universität Berlin (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lusby, Larsen, Ehrgott, Ryan: Railway track allocation: models and methods. OR Spectrum 1(1), 1–41 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lusby, Larsen, Ryan, Ehrgott: Routing Trains through Railway Junctions: A New Set Packing Approach, Technical Report 1, Informatics and Mathematical Modelling, Technical University of Denmark, DTU, Richard Petersens Plads, Building 321, DK-2800 Kgs, Lyngby (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  • Peeters, Kroon: Circulation of railway rolling stock: a branch-and-price approach. Computers & OR 35(2), 538–556 (2008)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Potthoff, Huisman, Desaulniers: Column generation with dynamic duty selection for railway crew rescheduling, Econometric Institute Report EI 2008-28, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Econometric Institute (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rezanova, Ryan: The train driver recovery problem-A set partitioning based model and solution method. Comput. Oper. Res. 37(5), 845–856 (2010)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Schlechte, Borndörfer, Erol, Graffagnino, Swarat: Aggregation Methods for Railway Networks. In: Hansen, Wendler, Ricci, Pacciarelli, Longo, Rodriguez (eds.) Proceedings of 4th International Seminar on Railway Operations Modelling and Analysis (IAROR), vol. 4 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlechte, Tanner: Railway capacity auctions with dual prices. In: Proceedings of the 12th World Conference on Transport Research (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Trasse Schweiz AG, Business report (2009), http://www.trasse.ch

  • Weider: Integration of Vehicle and Duty Scheduling in Public Transport, PhD thesis, TU Berlin (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zwaneveld, Kroon, Romeijn, Salomon, Dauzere-Peres, Van Hoesel, Ambergen: Routing Trains Through Railway Stations: Model Formulation and Algorithms. Transportation Science 30(3), 181–194 (1996)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Zwaneveld, Kroon, van Hoesel: Routing trains through a railway station based on a node packing model. European Journal of Operational Research 128(1), 14–33 (2001)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB), Takustr, 7, 14195, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany

    Ralf Borndörfer, Thomas Schlechte & Elmar Swarat

Authors
  1. Ralf Borndörfer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thomas Schlechte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elmar Swarat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ralf Borndörfer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , TU417, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China, People's Republic

    Yi-Qing Ni

  2. , Department of Civil and Structural Engin, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China, People's Republic

    Xiao-Wei Ye

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Borndörfer, R., Schlechte, T., Swarat, E. (2012). Railway Track Allocation - Simulation, Aggregation, and Optimization. In: Ni, YQ., Ye, XW. (eds) Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on High-Speed and Intercity Railways. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 148. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27963-8_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27963-8_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27962-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27963-8

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation