Simulation-Based Multistage Optimization Model for Railroad Alignment Design and Operations
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 146, Issue 7
Abstract
In railroads, the vertical alignment design is closely related to the cost of operation because it may affect the required energy consumptions. By considering an innovative vertical alignment design concept such as the dipped vertical alignment (DVA) profile, the required energy consumptions, namely, tractive energy and braking energy, may be reduced. As a result, the cost of train operations may be reduced. In addition, the cruising speed and coasting operations are important operational decisions. Thus, this paper proposes a multistage decision model to jointly optimize the vertical alignment profile, cruising speed, and coasting operation point. The minimum cost solution is obtained considering the costs of users and operators. A deterministic simulation model is incorporated to calculate the vehicle motion, dynamics, resistance, and other computation outputs. A case study followed by sensitivity analyses are presented to discuss how the input values (e.g., unit energy cost, passenger’s time value) affect the operational decisions (i.e., cruising speed or coasting operation).
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by an Incheon National University (International Cooperative) Research Grant in 2016.
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Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 146 • Issue 7 • July 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 10, 2019
Accepted: Jan 23, 2020
Published online: Apr 29, 2020
Published in print: Jul 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Sep 29, 2020
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