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Integrating Timetabling and Crew Scheduling at a Freight Railway Operator

Author

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  • Lukas Bach

    (Cluster for Operations Research and Logistics, Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, 8210 Aarhus V, Denmark; and Department of Applied Mathematics, SINTEF ICT, Oslo 0316, Norway)

  • Twan Dollevoet

    (Erasmus Center for Optimization in Public Transport and Econometric Institute, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands)

  • Dennis Huisman

    (Erasmus Center for Optimization in Public Transport and Econometric Institute, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands; and Process quality and Innovation, Netherlands Railways, 3500 HA Utrecht, Netherlands)

Abstract

We investigate to what degree we can integrate a train timetabling/engine scheduling problem with a crew scheduling problem. In the timetabling/engine scheduling problem, we determine for each demand a specific time within its time window when the demand should be serviced. Furthermore, we generate engine duties for the demands. In our solution approach for the overall problem, we first obtain an optimal solution for the timetabling/engine scheduling problem. When solving the crew scheduling problem, we then exploit the fact that numerous optimal and near optimal solutions exist for the previous problem. We consider all these solutions that can be obtained from the optimal engine schedule by shifting the demands in time, while keeping the order of demands in the engine duties intact. In particular, in the crew scheduling stage it is allowed to retime the service of demands if the additional cost is outweighed by the crew savings. This information is implemented in a mathematical model for the crew scheduling problem. The model is solved using a column generation scheme. We perform computational experiments based on a case at a freight railway operator, DB Schenker Rail Scandinavia, and show that significant cost savings can be achieved.

Suggested Citation

  • Lukas Bach & Twan Dollevoet & Dennis Huisman, 2016. "Integrating Timetabling and Crew Scheduling at a Freight Railway Operator," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(3), pages 878-891, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ortrsc:v:50:y:2016:i:3:p:878-891
    DOI: 10.1287/trsc.2015.0648
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Neufeld, Janis S. & Scheffler, Martin & Tamke, Felix & Hoffmann, Kirsten & Buscher, Udo, 2021. "An efficient column generation approach for practical railway crew scheduling with attendance rates," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 293(3), pages 1113-1130.
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    7. Christian Rählmann & Ulrich W. Thonemann, 2020. "Railway crew scheduling with semi-flexible timetables," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 42(4), pages 835-862, December.
    8. Schwerdfeger, Stefan & Otto, Alena & Boysen, Nils, 2021. "Rail platooning: Scheduling trains along a rail corridor with rapid-shunting facilities," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 294(2), pages 760-778.
    9. Kang, Liujiang & Li, Hao & Sun, Huijun & Wu, Jianjun & Cao, Zhiguang & Buhigiro, Nsabimana, 2021. "First train timetabling and bus service bridging in intermodal bus-and-train transit networks," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 443-462.

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