Train timetables and track maintenance

Rail networks need regular, scheduled maintenance in§order to operate efficiently. However,§maintenance needs to be carefully coordinated with§train operations, as the cost of restricting§the train schedule potentially results in significant§lost revenues for railways. Traditional§methods of constructing train timetables with§allowance for track maintenance take several weeks,§allowing little opportunity to explore potential§improvements. This book presents new mathematical§techniques for producing integrated train timetables§and track maintenance schedules so that, when§evaluated according to certain key performance§indicators, the overall schedule is the best§possible. The research is directed at sparse long§haul rail systems. The techniques in this book§include a new probabilistic method that can quickly§generate a range of different feasible§integrated schedules. The speed of the method allows§it to be used in a operational setting, both§to create schedules and to test different scenarios.§Rail operators, mathematicians and engineers§may gain useful insight from this book to aid their§development of operationally efficient methods§for railway management.