Integrating rolling stock scheduling with train unit shunting

Abstract

In this paper, we consider integrating two important railway optimization problems, in particular the Rolling Stock Scheduling Problem and the Train Unit Shunting Problem. We present two similar branch-and-cut based approaches to solve this integrated problem and, in addition, provide a comparison of different approaches to solve the so-called Track Assignment Problem, a subcomponent of the Train Unit Shunting problem. In this analysis we demonstrate, by way of a counter example, the heuristic nature of a previously argued optimal approach. For the integrated problem we analyze the performance of the proposed approaches on several real-life case studies provided by DSB S-tog, a suburban train operator in the greater Copenhagen area. Computational results confirm the necessity of the integrated approach; high quality solutions to the integrated problem are obtained on instances where a conventional, sequential approach ends in infeasibility. Furthermore, for the considered instances, solutions are typically found within a few minutes, indicating the applicability of the methodology to short-term planning.