Impact of faster freight trains on railway capacity and operational quality

Abstract

Impact of faster freIght traIns on raIlway capacIty and operatIonal qualIty Jakob geIschberger & mIchael moensters Institute of transportation systems (ts), germany abstract In view of the transition towards climate-friendly transportation, mobility and freight traffic demand are both expected to grow in europe's already heavily occupied railway networks. to accommodate the increasing traffic volume, capacity-optimised traffic planning is a requirement. one key factor in this context is the heterogeneity of train speeds on heavily used mixed-traffic railway lines. In this paper, we study the effects of train speed harmonisation based on the increase of freight train velocities. two planning scenarios are addressed: in the first case, freight trains have a conventional speed profile but can occasionally make use of their higher allowed speed level when needed. this can be used in operations to recover from delays or blend in with passenger traffic. In the second case, freight trains are scheduled to so-called 'express train paths'-reaching a more homogeneous timetable profile. the two planning concepts are analysed and compared in a microscopic simulation approach. It is shown that scenarios based on the first planning concept tend to have positive effects on operational quality and capacity, whereas scenarios using 'express freight train paths' are less promising in this respect.

The Effect of Level Crossing on the Railroad Line Capacity

“…Jakob [7] researched the impact of faster freight trains on railway capacity and operational quality. As a result of the study, the overall operational quality can be enhanced by allowing freight trains a higher maximum speed.…”

New Reactive Power Compensation Strategies for Railway Infrastructure Capacity Increasing

“…and on operation parameters (track interruptions, train stop time, etc.). In [3], increasing the railway infrastructure capacity by increasing the speed of freight trains is proposed. Specifically, in the case of a delay, these trains are allowed to have higher maximum speed.…”

“…With the mission of "Moving European Railway Forward", the Shift2Rail European program [2] targets the reduction of costs, increases the capacity, reliability, and punctuality. In particular, this program contributes to doubling the railway capacity [3].…”