Real-time train timetabling with virtual coupling operations on a Y-type metro line

Hongyang Wang, Lixing Yang, Jinlei Zhang, Qin Luo and Zhongsheng Fan

European Journal of Operational Research, 2024, vol. 319, issue 1, 168-190

Abstract: The spatiotemporal imbalance of passenger flows is a prominent characteristic of urban rail transit systems. To match the provided transportation capacity with passenger distribution, this study considers an integer linear programming model to optimize train operation on a Y-type line, including the train timetable, rolling stock circulation plan and virtual coupling/uncoupling strategy that enables trains to switch between different compositions or configurations during operations. To enhance solution efficiency, certain integer decision variables in the model are relaxed to be continuous, and it is proved that this does not affect the optimal value of the model. To account for the dynamic nature of passenger flows, a “prediction + optimization” method with the rolling optimization framework, which utilizes real-time predicted passenger flow data to enable train operations to be performed and adjusted in response, is proposed. Three variants of the proposed model are embedded to meet the real-time requirements of operations. Numerical experiments verify the effectiveness and applicability of our proposed approach, with real-world data from Shanghai Metro Line 5. The computational results demonstrate that our method performs well under operation scenarios with both normal and abnormal passenger flows. Compared to fixed train composition, virtual coupling can perform much better in both peak and off-peak periods.

Keywords: Transportation; Y-type metro line; Train operation plan; Virtual coupling/uncoupling; Online train timetabling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221724004697
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:ejores:v:319:y:2024:i:1:p:168-190

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2024.06.021

Access Statistics for this article

European Journal of Operational Research is currently edited by Roman Slowinski, Jesus Artalejo, Jean-Charles. Billaut, Robert Dyson and Lorenzo Peccati

More articles in European Journal of Operational Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().