Schedule Planning and Timetable Construction for Commuter Railroad Operations

This paper describes a set of techniques developed to assist in planning the operations of a commuter railroad and similar types of public transportation systems. Computer models are used for generating information and processing data with the planner making the value judgment decisions regarding the degree to which the various objectives are achieved. The method attempts to balance the objectives of the user (travel time and comfort), the system operator (operating cost), and the owner-financier (capital investment). The first portion of the method deals with schedule planning, in which the overall trade offs between quality of service and costs are addressed, and the general plan of operations (such as whether or not to include express service) is developed. Once the general plan has been (tentatively) set, then the detailed construction of a specific timetable, including equipment and crew assignments, is addressed.