A feasible timetable generator simulation modelling framework for train scheduling problem

An important problem in management of railway systems is the train scheduling/timetabling problem. This is the problem of determining a timetable for a set of trains that do not violate track capacities and satisfy some operational constraints. In this study, a feasible timetable generator framework for stochastic simulation modelling is developed. The objective is to obtain a feasible train timetable for all trains in the system. The feasible train timetable includes train arrival and departure times at all visited stations and calculated average train travel time. Although this study focuses on train scheduling/timetabling problem, the developed simulation framework can also be used for train rescheduling/dispatching problem if this framework can be fed by real time data. The developed simulation model includes stochastic events, and can easily cope with the disturbances that occur in the railway system. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.