Train dispatching strategy for high-speed railway networks considering special trains

In real train operations, the train order and handover time of special trains can impact interconnected routes and dispatching efficiency. Therefore, maintaining the planned order or handover time of special trains is a practical and significant consideration for train dispatchers in China. This paper examines three different dispatching strategies for special trains (i.e. cross-bureau trains, cross-line trains). With the objective of minimizing total train delay time, a train timetable rescheduling model is developed, incorporating partially restricted train order and handover times for special trains. Experiments with the CPLEX solver evaluate strategies performance and applicability using real-world data from the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, considering solution quality, operation stability and computational efficiency under initial delay disturbance. Results show that the proposed dispatching strategy, which is entirely fixed based on real-world conditions, can achieve a feasible solution within a reasonable time limit, albeit with some costs for other trains.