Decision Support Systems Support the Search for Win-Win Solutions in Railway Network Design

Abstract

Railned is an independent organization that advises the Dutch government on investments in future railway infrastructure. It generates and evaluates infrastructural scenarios that stem from the government's objectives and those of the operators of the railway network, the Dutch railway company Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) being by far the largest. The government and the railway operators often have different objectives, which may conflict sometimes. The government finances and manages the infrastructure, and wants to meet certain social and environmental priorities, thereby not exceeding budget limits. The operators exploit the infrastructure and wish to have a dependable infrastructure that guarantees long-term profitability. Railned uses various decision support systems (DSS) to develop and analyze infrastructural scenarios that yield win-win solutions for both the Dutch government and the railway operators.