An exact solution procedure to determine the optimal dispatching times for complex rail networks

Abstract

Trains operating in densely populated metropolitan areas typically encounter complex track configurations. To make optimal use of the available rail capacity, some portions of the rail network may consist of single-track lines whereas other locations may consist of double- or triple-track lines. This paper develops a branch-and-bound procedure that is able to determine the optimal dispatching times for trains traveling in complex rail networks. We demonstrate the efficiency of our branch-and-bound algorithm by comparing it to CPLEX, a commercially available integer program solver, on an actual rail network in Los Angeles County.