Automation of planning, forecasting and finding operational parameters of economically reasonable control of Ukraine’s railways operation

The main result is development of decision-making systems, used as a major component of the production and operating procedure control system at Ukrzaliznytsia.

It was archived through:

- the comprehensive research conducted in both the design and the solution of corresponding mathematical problems as well as railway control system;

- the development of cross-cutting software that includes modelling, forecast, optimizing systems and system of on-line and normative information support;

- the complete class of mathematical optimization problems the effective solution of which will ensure real automation, optimization and optimal control of railway processes.

 

Main spheres of research and developments

The basic area of research:Standardization, planning, forecasting, optimal resource control for existing and projected production needs.

1. Automation of designing technological operating processes of stations and groups of interrelated stations.

2. Unified information system of technological processes at Ukrzaliznytsia.

3. Dynamic model of interplay of technological operating processes of stations and groups of interrelated stations for the decision-making system.

 

Automation of regulatory and on-line train scheduling

1. Drawing up a draft of automation practices of optimal regulatory and on-line train scheduling.

2. Automation of development and keeping up-to-date the regulatory basis for regulatory train scheduling.

3. Automation of process of train scheduling.

4. Calculation of the demand for the number of carriages at work in view of pending transportation needs (on-line planning) and coordination of schedules of a attaching locomotives and coordination of working hours of locomotive crews with the train schedules.

5. The development of the information support system for on-line train scheduling.

6. Automation of drawing up optimum on-line train schedules. Automation of train schedule updates in routine and an emergency modes for specified optimality criteria.

7. The development of on-line and long-term train formation plans.

 

Traffic and processing capacity

1. Calculation of the existing traffic and carrying capacity of railway lines

2. Calculation of the capacity of traction power supply

 

Efficient use of traction energy resources

1. The development of the system of calculation of real traction and power characteristics of locomotives and basic parameters of rolling stocks.

2. The development of system of optimum adaptive (on the basis of on-line identification of real traction and power characteristics) automatic train operation based on high-precision forecasting of the online traffic parameters.

 

Completed works

1. Graphic-based software which uses a representation of Ukraine’s railways in universal theoretical-graph concepts (objects) that offers:

• a unified approach to data saving, representation and processing;
• creation of universal algorithms for solving different problems on weighed graphs;
• creation of models of facilities and technological processes, etc.

We built a scheme of railways and stations by means of the system. The developed information environment provides the effective solution to the above tasks.

2. Among the solved problems were the modelling and optimization of train traffic according to specified optimality criteria. There was also a proposal of the so-called physical approach to building an optimum train’s speed function. Optimality is archived with a time resource (i.e. the difference between allocated time and the minimum possible time for the current train schedule) by way of reducing of number and speed of transitional modes and the maximum use of inertia of movement (i.e. minimization of the use of brake forces).

3. Algorithms for optimum driving of trains in the conditions of uncertainty with operational data of the train movement mode one can to set a problem of parameter identification of traffic models.

4. A system of calculation of optimum inter-train and station time intervals used for the development of train schedules. They (intervals) ensure safe train traffic and higher capacity of sections of railway lines and stations.

5. An algorithm for building threads of train schedules which ensures an optimum use of energy resources and minimizes the time of planned stops at stations to the minimum required.

6. An approach to the automation of process of formation of optimum regulatory and online train schedules which ensures a complete set of scheduled trains for the specified direction.

7. Developed software tools for automation of the process of building of dynamic station models and their support.

8. An algorithmic software for the development of train formation plans.

 

Mathematical Center Ltd. provides:

- development of a comprehensive program for a step-by-step transition of the railways to the automated technology for train scheduling;

- carrying out optimization of regulatory base of train schedules for different operating conditions and depending on the infrastructure condition;

- economic assessment for developing the regulatory base and the decision-making system taking into account operational costs;

- transition to the automation of support for the updated regulatory base;

- economic estimation of the cost of developed train schedules;

- adaptation of existing rules of traction calculations for train operation taking into consideration current conditions of operation of railway lines;

- development of the calculation system of current capacity of Ukraine’s railways;

- development of the system of the online and regulatory plans of formatting of passenger and freight trains;

- development of a modelling, forecasting and optimization software for station operations.