Production of locomotive rosters for a multi-class single-locomotive problem

Md Al-Amin, M A Forbes and D H Noble ()
Additional contact information
Md Al-Amin: Swinburne University
M A Forbes: Opcom Pty, Ltd.
D H Noble: Swinburne University

Journal of the Operational Research Society, 1999, vol. 50, issue 10, 1004-1010

Abstract: Abstract A multi-class single locomotive (MCSL) problem is defined in this paper as one involving the allocation of a single locomotive to each of a number of pre-timetabled trains, some of which can be pulled by more than one type (or class) of locomotive. This is typical of problems arising in many passenger train networks and an exact solution method exists for the general form of this problem (Forbes et al1) This paper describes the analysis of a particular type of MCSL problem, as faced by the Public Transport Corporation (PTC) in the Australian State of Victoria, where all journeys either start or end at one location (Melbourne). Because of this feature, the problem can be solved in two separate stages. The first stage (an integer programming model) determines the type of locomotive that will hall each trip. The second stage, which can either be solved by the LP assignment algorithm or by computerised inspection, determines the locomotive rosters, (the sequence of round trips that each locomotive hauls). Splitting the problem into two stages achieves a significant reduction in problem size, resulting in greatly reduced computation time (4 seconds as opposed to a number of hours).

Keywords: rostering; rail transport; integer programming; assignment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1999
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2600802 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

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:pal:jorsoc:v:50:y:1999:i:10:d:10.1057_palgrave.jors.2600802

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... search/journal/41274

DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2600802

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of the Operational Research Society is currently edited by Tom Archibald and Jonathan Crook

More articles in Journal of the Operational Research Society from Palgrave Macmillan, The OR Society
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().