Moving block principle-based multi-strategy optimal scheduling method for trains in case of segment blockages

Abstract

During the daily operation of high-speed railways, unexpected events such as geological disasters or equipment failure may lead to railway segment blockages. A long-duration segment blockage usually leads to large-scale train delays, which cause significant inconvenience to passengers.Adjusting train schedules in real time during segment blockages is an important issue for the dispatch and operation of high-speed railways.For a segment blockage of a known time interval, a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model for train speed adjustment and train diagram adjustment is constructed.In this model, in addition to the common scheduling strategies involving train cancellation and departure delay, the deceleration strategy is considered. Under the constraints of traffic safety and station capacity, the objective is to minimize the weighted delays of the three strategies.Additionally, the delay time owing to train speed reduction is calculated based on the train kinematic model, and the safe interval of train operation is controlled using the moving block principle.The model established in this paper can be directly simulated using commercial optimization software CPLEX, and the scheduling scheme is guaranteed to be in real time. This paper also discusses the influence of the three adjustment strategies, i.e., train cancellation, departure delay, and deceleration, on the total delay time. Finally, the model is verified using an example of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway. Results show that the model is reasonable and effective. By implementing the model, a reasonable scheduling scheme can be achieved to address practical problems, and the punctuality rate of trains can be improved.