2013 Session: 752

• Sophisticated Capacity Determination Using Simulation
  Abstract: The determination and evaluation of the useable capacity of railway infrastructure is an essential part of railway operations science. The daily railway operation shows that the theoretical calculated capacity is often not available or useable in reality. To allow a more resilient capacity calculation for lines, nodes and networks and to assess the remaining and useable capacities, a precise operational simulation should be carried out, additional. With that the operational performance is analysed and the findings can be applied to the capacity evaluation. This technique is named ‘Sophisticated Capacity Determination’ in this essay. The methods workflow consists of three main steps:1.Capacity calculation of lines, nodes or networks, Result: Maximum levels of occupation (number of trains / time period)2.Operational Simulation with the program RailSys® (3) to detect the operations quality of lines, nodes or networks, Result: Operations quality3.Adjustment of the maximum levels of occupation, Result: Verified maximum levels of occupationThe advantage is that the Sophisticated Capacity Determination considers the specific characteristics of the infrastructure layout and operational conditions, and therefore provides accurate and dependable results. The identified effective capacity neither underutilises the infrastructure asset, nor does it suggest a level of utilisation that cannot be supported.This essay describes the fields of application of the Sophisticated Capacity Determination for the evaluation of partial networks with the aim of back coupling the results into the planning stage as well as into the arrangement of the daily operation.
  Authors: Siefer, Thomas; Gille, Andreas Martin
  Authors: Siefer, Thomas; Gille, Andreas Martin
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Railroads; Rail
  Session: 752
  Paper Number: 13-2056
• Review of Capacity Measurement Methodologies: Similarities and Differences in U.S. and European Railroads
  Abstract: Most passenger rail services in the United States (U.S.) operate on corridors that are shared with freight traffic. As the demand for passenger and freight transportation grows and emphasis is placed on increased speed and on-time performance of passenger services, the available capacity becomes even more consumed. Where higher speed passenger trains are mixed with freight, the increased heterogeneity from expanding speed differential creates further challenges for reliable operations. Based on the experiences in the other parts of the world, the required reliability is typically secured through structured/planned/scheduled operation. As the U.S. continues to develop higher speed passenger service with similar characteristics to those in European shared-use lines, the accuracy of capacity analysis methods becomes more important, and tools applied in Europe may become more applicable to the U.S. conditions as well. This paper presents the fundamental facts on railway capacity obtained through the literature review. It will provide a brief review of capacity definitions used in both Europe and the U.S., followed by description of differences in their respective rail systems. The paper will also introduce the various types of approaches for capacity analysis and review several case studies in the U.S. and Europe that use those approaches.
  Authors: Pouryousef, Hamed; Lautala, Pasi Tapio; White, Thomas
  Authors: Pouryousef, Hamed; Lautala, Pasi Tapio; White, Thomas
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Railroads; Rail
  Session: 752
  Paper Number: 13-4502
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Comparison of Capacity of Single- and Double-Track Rail Lines Using Simulation Analyses
  Abstract: North America has shown an increasing desire to introduce or increase passenger rail service between many city-pairs. One approach to achieving this goal has been to run passenger trains on existing freight-railroad infrastructure. The simultaneous operation of passenger trains alongside freight trains is a significant challenge due to their different performance characteristics. Additionally, the track configuration can significantly influence the interaction effects between the trains. The maximum speed of the passenger train has a very small impact on the performance of the freight train in single track. However, in double track configurations, the speed of the passenger train will have a large impact on freight train delays. Single track can show an asymmetrical delay distribution centered on an average run time with very few trains arriving close to the minimum run time. A double track configuration can result in a delay distribution shaped similarly to an exponential distribution with many trains maintaining their minimum run times. In both single and double track, a higher passenger train maximum speed can lead to a greater range of possible travel times. These analyses can help further understand the interactions between passenger and freight trains for current and future shared corridor operations.
  Authors: Sogin, Samuel Lincoln; Lai, Yung-Cheng; Dick, C. Tyler; Barkan, Christopher P. L.
  Authors: Sogin, Samuel Lincoln; Lai, Yung-Cheng; Dick, C. Tyler; Barkan, Christopher P. L.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Railroads; Rail
  Session: 752
  Paper Number: 13-1424
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Forecasting the Duration of Rail Operation Disturbances
  Abstract: Railway operating disturbances have a significant impact on the satisfaction of both freight and passenger customers. Increasing demand for rail service has led to highly congested networks, which, in spite of improvements in railway scheduling and planning, increases the potential for operating disturbances and impacts. This paper describes research on the handling of railway operation disturbances. The research shows how, particularly for highly congested rail networks such as in urban areas, railway systems engineering can optimize processes to reduce disturbance impacts. The paper describes research on developing a forecasting process for improving the management of rail operation disturbances. This supports a return to the scheduled timetable. The proposed approach was developed by combining statistical correlations and improved procedural considerations. The approach can be used to help guide operating decisions and also be used in incident prevention planning.
  Authors: Schranil, Steffen; Weidmann, Ulrich Alois
  Authors: Schranil, Steffen; Weidmann, Ulrich Alois
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Railroads; Rail
  Session: 752
  Paper Number: 13-1455
• Forecasting the Duration of Rail Operation Disturbances
  Authors: Schranil, Steffen
  Authors: Schranil, Steffen
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Rail
  Session: 752
  Paper Number: 13-1455
• Comparison of Capacity of Single- and Double-Track Rail Lines Using Simulation Analyses
  Authors: Sogin, Samuel
  Authors: Sogin, Samuel
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Rail
  Session: 752
  Paper Number: 13-1424
• Sophisticated Capacity Determination Using Simulation
  Authors: Siefer, Thomas
  Authors: Siefer, Thomas
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Rail
  Session: 752
  Paper Number: 13-2056
• Review of Capacity Measurement Methodologies: Similarities and Differences in U.S. and European Railroads
  Authors: Pouryousef, Hamed
  Authors: Pouryousef, Hamed
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Rail
  Session: 752
  Paper Number: 13-4502