A Timetable Optimization Model for Passenger and Freight Transport on Airport Rail Line

The application of urban rail transit systems for fast, efficient, and environment-friendly freight transportation is a rising trend in some countries. This paper addresses an urban freight transportation strategy using surplus capacity resources of the airport rail line to solve the intercity freight transportation problem by inserting dedicated freight trains. First, we develop a hybrid nonlinear programming model to collaboratively optimize passenger and freight train timetables to maximize operating company profits. The model covers the relationship among the participants in the scheduling process, including delivery time, departure intervals, stopping schemes, and train capacity. Then, YALMIP and CPLEX are adopted to find a globally optimal solution after linearizing the model. Finally, the proposed method is demonstrated by the Capital Airport Line in Beijing, China. The results show that the proposed model can provide the potential for addressing various freight demands and increasing the operating company’s profits.