A robust and energy-efficient train timetable for the subway system

Authors

Pei Liu
Marie Schmidt
Qingxia Kong
Joris Camiel Wagenaar
Lixing Yang
Ziyou Gao
Housheng Zhou

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2020

Subject Area

mode - subway/metro, operations - scheduling, operations - performance, operations - crowding

Keywords

Subway system, Robustness, Energy efficiency, Energy storage device, Train timetable

Abstract

In the subway system, passenger crowding in peak hours is likely to cause train delays that easily propagate to following trains, resulting in a lower efficiency of the system. Consequently, this paper focuses on determining a robust timetable for the trains on the one hand, i.e., finding a better timetable to avoid delay propagation as much as possible in case of a crowded subway system. On the other hand, this paper considers the energy efficiency, i.e., reducing the total energy consumption during operations by selecting appropriate speed profiles and maximizing the utilization of regenerative braking energy. A related mathematical optimization model is formulated with the objective of maximizing the robustness and minimizing the total energy consumption. In order to solve this model, an efficient algorithm, i.e., simulation-based variable neighborhood search algorithm, is presented to obtain a good timetable in reasonable amount of time. Finally, experiments are implemented to show the performance of the proposed algorithm.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Transportation Research Part C Home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0968090X

Recommended Citation

Liu, P., Schmidt, M., Kong, Q., Wagenaar, J.C., Yang, L., Gao, Z., & Zhou, H. (2020). A robust and energy-efficient train timetable for the subway system. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 121, 102822.