Optimization of track distribution of industrial railway stations between car designations

Abstract

Purpose. To improve the method for distributing the tracks of industrial railway stations for the accumulation of car groups between separate assignments. The optimization problem is to find such a distribution of classification work between the industrial marshalling yard and freight stations, as well as such a distribution of marshalling yard tracks between individual destinations, which ensures the minimum time expenditures on shunting work. Methodology. The studies were carried out using the methods of the theory of railway operation, simulation modeling and dynamic programming. Findings. The optimization problem of distribution of sorting work between the marshalling yard and freight stations of an industrial enterprise, as well as searching for such a distribution of marshalling yard tracks between individual destinations, which ensures the minimum time expenditures for shunting work, has been solved. Originality. The paper proposes a method for formalizing and solving the problem of distributing the tracks of industrial railway stations for the accumulation of car groups between individual destinations as a dynamic programming problem. Unlike the existing methods, where the number of tracks is considered as a constraint, in the proposed method, the number of tracks is an objective function argument of minimizing the duration of shunting operations, which improves the quality of the solutions obtained. Practical value. The method proposed in the paper, due to the rational distribution of the existing track arrangement of railway stations, makes it possible to reduce the time expenditures on the making- and breaking-up the trains and shunting transfers and, due to this, increase the carrying capacity of the stations, as well as reduce the cost of production of enterprises.