Optimizing capacity utilization of stations by estimating knock-on train delays

Jianxin Yuan and Ingo A. Hansen

Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 2007, vol. 41, issue 2, 202-217

Abstract: For scheduled train services, a trade-off exists between efficiently utilizing the capacity of railway networks and improving the reliability and punctuality of train operations. This paper proposes a new analytical stochastic model of train delay propagation in stations, which estimates the knock-on delays of trains caused by route conflicts and late transfer connections realistically. The proposed model reflects the constraints of signalling system and train protection operations rules. The stochastic variations of track occupancy times due to the fluctuations of train speed in case of different signal aspects are modelled with conditional probability distributions. The model is solved on the basis of a numerical approximation of the Stieltjes convolution of individual independent distributions and can be integrated into a larger computerized decision support tool for timetable design and train dispatching. Having been validated successfully with empirical data, the model is applied for optimizing the station capacity utilization in a case study of the Dutch railway station The Hague Holland Spoor. The model can determine the maximal frequency of trains passing the critical level crossing with a given maximum knock-on delay at a certain confidence level. It is found that when the scheduled buffer time between train paths at the level crossing decreases, the mean knock-on delay of all passing trains increases exponentially.

Date: 2007
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191-2615(06)00021-X
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:transb:v:41:y:2007:i:2:p:202-217

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/supportfaq.cws_home/regional
https://shop.elsevie ... _01_ooc_1&version=01

Access Statistics for this article

Transportation Research Part B: Methodological is currently edited by Fred Mannering

More articles in Transportation Research Part B: Methodological from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().