Requirements and criteria on highly efficient matching of train demand to offered trains paths (ATRANS 2.1)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Karl Nachtigall
• Subject Area: Traffic and Transport Systems, Intelligent and Automated Traffic
• Term: from 2015 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 257934310

Goal of the subproject ATRANS 2.1 is the determination of scientific parameters for train paths' and train path systems' evaluation, in order to improve the plan stability, quality and robustness.A method for optimal assignment of train paths by the branch-cut-and-price algorithm has been already developed, which implies the research foundation in cooperation with an additional method for train paths assignment and the gained knowledge of ATRANS 2.2.The principles of non-discrimination of each single train path purchaser must be considered and sufficed to a particular and serious degree. Therefore, the effects of the international, European and national legal norms will be evaluated for the train paths assignment and will be modelled by integrating them into linear programs for optimal train paths assignment.The plan stability and robustness of train paths assignment will be investigated by a sensitivity analysis. On the one hand, the right hand side's variation of the linear program will be regarded for the optimal train paths assignment and on the other hand, the train paths assignment will be simulated under consideration of a stochastic demand.For that purpose, an approach for event based simulation will be adapted, which has been developed in beforehand for the investigation of plan algorithms of airport operations.The gained parameters are a necessity for the train paths assignment's future and the enhanced research and efficiency improvements of the trans-European rail freight transport. Furthermore, the time varying and stochastic demands must be considered under the inclusion of the quality evaluation.The data set which will be used for sensitivity analysis will be derived from train path structures of subproject ATRANS 1. Additional train paths will be added to these structures optimally by the already existing timetabling tool TAKT.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Dr.-Ing. Jens Opitz