Energy-efficient Train Timetabling

Railways in Europe need to reduce CO₂ emissions and energy usage to contribute to sustainability. One of the measures that railway undertakings can apply with low investment cost and both high reductions in CO₂ emission and energy consumption, is energy-efficient train trajectory optimization. Another efficient measure is...

Pseudospectral optimal train control

In the last decade, pseudospectral methods have become popular for solving optimal control problems. Pseudospectral methods do not need prior knowledge about the optimal control structure and are thus very flexible for problems with complex path constraints, which are common in optimal train control, or train trajectory optimization....

Energy-efficient train control using nonlinear bounded regenerative braking

Energy-efficient train control (EETC) has been studied a lot over the last decades, because it contributes to cost savings and reduction of CO₂ emissions. The aim of EETC is to minimize total traction energy consumption of a train run given the running time in the timetable. Most research is focused to apply mechanical braking on...

Optimal running time supplement distribution in train schedules for energy-efficient train control

Energy-efficient train driving can lead to a significant reduction in both CO₂ emissions and energy consumption. A lot of research has been done on the topic of energy-efficient train control that minimizes total traction energy consumption. Furthermore, the running time supplements in the timetable determine the possibilities for...

Comparing train driving strategies on multiple key performance indicators

The driving strategy of train drivers has a large impact on the energy consumption. In recent studies the focus was on calculating the optimal eco-driving strategy, and measuring the exact amount of energy used during train runs. However, energy consumption is not the only key performance indicator that affects the operational performance of...

Review of energy-efficient train control and timetabling

The energy consumption of trains is highly efficient due to the low friction between steel wheels and rails, although the efficiency is also influenced largely by the driving strategy applied and the scheduled running times in the timetable. Optimal energy-efficient driving strategies can reduce operating costs significantly and contribute to a...

Effect of regenerative braking on energy-efficient train control

An important topic to reduce the energy consumption in railways is the use of energy-efficient train control (EETC). Modern trains allow regen-erative braking where the released kinetic energy can be reused. This regener-ative braking has an effect on the optimal driving regimes compared to trains which can only use mechanical braking. This...

Running time supplements: Energy-efficient train control versus robust timetables

Energy-efficient train operation is not yet included in the timetable design process in the Netherlands. Hence, running time supplements are not optimally distributed in the timetable. Therefore research has been conducted on the possibilities to better incorporate energy-efficient train operation into the railway timetable. This paper describes...

Rijtijdspeling in treindienstregelingen: Energiezuinig rijden versus robuustheid

Commissioned by the Dutch Railways Operation (NS Reizigers) research has been conducted on the possibilities to better incorporate energy-efficient train operation into the timetable. The motivation for this research is based on the fact that energy-efficient operation is not yet optimally included in the timetable design. This is because of the...