MILP-Based Optimization of the Extended Real- Time Railway Traffic Management Problem

Abstract

The conflict-free preplanned railway timetable often results in conflicting trains due to traffic perturbation. Therefore, the real-time railway traffic management problem arises that requires the rerouting and rescheduling of the trains. The optimization aims to minimize the secondary delays assigned to the trains solving the traffic management problem. In this paper, we propose a mixed-integer linear programming model extending the previous works in this field with a safety-relevant signaling concept, the so-called overlaps. The proposed model provides a strategic decision minimizing the delay propagation that is safer and more feasible considering the actual railway traffic regulations. The results are verified through a simulation environment highlighting the impact of overlaps in different infrastructures and scenarios.