Quantitative Methods to Evaluate Timetable Attractiveness RAILZürich 2009 Bernd Schittenhelm, Technical University of Denmark & Rail Net Denmark

Quantitative Methods to Evaluate Timetable AttractivenessRAILZürich 2009Bernd Schittenhelm,Technical University of Denmark & Rail Net Denmark

12/02/2009Quantitative Methods to Evaluate Timetable Attractiveness

2 DTU Transport, Technical University of Denmark

Motivation

• Development of a multi-criteria timetable attractiveness objective function - e.g. to use for timetable generation

• Quantitative methods for fast evaluation of and easy comparison of candidate timetables



Outline

Present quantitative evaluationmethods for the followingattractiveness parameters

• Timetable structure

• Timetable complexity

• Travel time

• Transfers

• Punctuality & reliability

-----------------------------------

• Timetable Attractiveness Index

• Conclusion & further research



Timetable structureInterest of

Attractiveness Parameter Infrastructure

Manager Train Operating

Company Customers Society

Timetable structure

Good capacity utilization on open lines and stations

Capacity consumption

Well defined hierarchy of services

Need for shunting movements

Timetable flexibility / free attractive capacity

Difficulty of creating a timetable

Preferable a regular interval timetable

Marketable and memorable timetable

Number of depar-tures adapted to market needs

Even utilization of seating capacity on the service line

Good transfer possibilities to other trains and between trains and other means of transport

Capacity consumption

Risk of consecutive delays

Stopping times based on requirements

Preferable a regular interval timetable. Easy to memorize

Logical and coherent timetable

Number of depar-tures adapted to market needs

Few or no changes in the timetable during a day

Direct trains with few stops


Stopping times based on requirements

Frequency

The timetable pro-vides the agreed upon service level

Logical and coherent timetable for the entire network

Price & quality relationship



Timetable structure

[Source: Liebchen 2006]



Timetable structure



Timetable structure

Non- periodic

Non-symmetric Non-IFIT IFIT Timetable structure characteristics

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 Logical and coherent timetable ÷ + + + + + + + + + Well defined hierarchy of services ÷ + + + + + + + + + Regular service intervals ÷ + + + + + + + + + Marketing and memorization ÷ + ÷ + + ÷ + + ÷ + Transfer times to trains and busses ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ + + + Number of necessary transfers + ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ Number of departures fitted to market demands + ÷ + + ÷ + + ÷ + + Changes in timetable patterns ÷ + ÷ + + ÷ + + ÷ + Need for shunting movements + ÷ ÷ + ÷ ÷ + ÷ ÷ + Use of capacity ÷ + + + + + + + + + Creating a feasible timetable + ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ Timetable flexibility / Free attractive capacity + ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷

Total 2÷ 0 2÷ 4+ 0 2÷ 4+ 2+ 0 6+



Timetable complexity

Timetable complexity is characterized by

the existing interdependencies in a given timetable

Location Interdependency Station / Depot Open Line

Train Train

Capacity consumption Planned transfers Tracks Rolling stock

Capacity consumption Heterogeneity Tracks

Train Crew Crew No interdependencies




Interest of Attractiveness Parameter Infrastructure




Short occupation times in capacity bottlenecks

Reasonable degree of capacity consumption

Not to many complex shunting movements in capacity bottlenecks

Easy to restore traffic according to the timetable after a disruption

Optimizing the need for rolling stock

Optimizing the need for train personnel / crew

Optimizing the use of seating capacity

Minimum risk of consecutive delays

Delay resistant timetable

Minimum risk of delays

Different product types: Stop/slow and express/fast trains

Socioeconomic cost connected to a complex timetable (e.g. more vulnerable to de-lays)



Timetable complexityCapacity consumption categories Index value Capacity available 1 Capacity almost used 0 Capacity bottleneck -1

Number of planned transfers at a given station Index value 0 1 1 or more Number of planned transfers × (-1)

Usage of tracks Index value Separate tracks for a train service 1 Shared tracks for train services Number of train services × (-1)

Usage of rolling stock Index value Separate rolling stock for train service 1 Shared rolling stock for train services Fraction of departures with shared rolling stock × (-1)

Usage of train crews Index value Separate train crews for train service 1

Shared train crews for train services Fraction of departures with shared train crew × Fraction of

shared crew members × (-1)




)

;min;min

(11

,

1,

1,

,

,

1,

1,

,

hhh

hh

hh

hh

N

A

it

A

itA

it

A

itD

it

D

itD

it

D

it

ityHeterogene

Traffic mix Heterogeneity index Index value Homogenous traffic 0,0 0,3 1 Bundling of trains 0,3 0,7 0 Highly heterogeneous traffic 0,7 1,0 -1



Travel time




Travel time

Interest in wear and tear of the infrastructure. Costs must be covered by TOC and/or society

Energy consump-tion. Power supply installation capacity can be reduced

Prize of timetable timeslot

Competitive travel times compared to other means of transport

Market share Short turn-round

times Interest in using

energy saving driving modes

Wear and tear of rolling stock

Costs for wear and tear of infrastructure

Prize of timetable slots

Shortest possible travel times

Direct trains with few stops

Frequency (shorter waiting times)

Socioeconomic costs connected to travel times

Market share of railway transport

Amount of discharged CO2 + pollution

Costs for wear and tear of infrastructure

Costs for wear and tear of rolling stock

Noise pollution connected to travel speed



Travel time

timewaitingscheduledofDegreetimetravelPossible

timetravelScheduled

Degree of scheduled waiting time Travel time attractiveness index 1.0 1 (reward) 1.1 0 1.2 -1 1.3 -3 1.4 -6 1.5 -10



Train transfers




Transfers

Reasonable occupation of platform tracks

Even capacity consumption on station platform tracks

Customer satisfaction



Few transfers – direct services

Shortest possible transfer times

Optimal transfer conditions

Keeping planned transfers


Socioeconomic costs connected to transfers (scheduled waiting time + transfer penalties)

p = h + d

p = minimal interchange time

h = minimal headway

d = planned dwell time



transfersforneedofDegreesconnectiontotalofNumber

transferwithsconnectionofNumber

Degree of need for transfers Index value 0.0 1 0,5 0 1.0 -1

timewaitingtransferofDegreetransferwithoutstopofDuration

transferwithstopofDuration

Degree of transfer waiting time Index value 1.0 1 (reward) 1.1 0 1.2 -1 1.3 -3 1.4 -6 1.5 -10

Transfer condition Index value Transfer train uses opposite platform track 1 Transfer train uses same track 0 Transfer train uses different platform -1



Punctuality & reliability




Punctuality and reliability

Availability of infrastructure to the TOC

Full filling infrastructure availability contracts with society

Operational times (pass through or crossings) should be kept

Customer satisfaction

Availability of rolling stock

Availability of crew Full filling

punctuality and reliability contracts with society

As few delays as possible

Reasonable com-promise between competitive travel time and running time reserves

Socioeconomic costs connected to delays and cancellations

Reasonable com-promise between competitive travel time and running time reserves

Recovery margins in timetable Index value Agreed upon recovery margins are used in the timetable 1 Deviations from agreed upon recovery margins exist in the timetable -1



Tim

eta

ble

Attra

ctiv

en

ess In

dex

Attractiveness parameter

Working categories Characteristics Index value

Timetable structure Timetable classes T1-T10

Sum of advantages/disadvantages

T1=2÷, T2=0, T3=2÷, T4=4+, T5=0, T6=2÷, T7=4+, T8=2+, T9=0,

T10=6+

Capacity available 1 Capacity almost used 0 Capacity consumption Capacity bottleneck -1 0 1

Number of planned transfers 1 or more

Number of planned transfers × (-1)

Usage of tracks Separate tracks for train service 1

Shared tracks for train services Number of train services

× (-1) Separate rolling stock for train service

1 Usage of rolling stock

Shared rolling stock for train services

Fraction of departures with shared rolling stock

× (-1) Separate train crews for train service

1

Usage of train crews Shared train crews for train services

Fraction of departures with shared crew ×

Fraction of shared crew members × (-1)

Homogenous traffic 1 Bundling of trains 0


Heterogeneity of traffic Index: See equation (4)

Heterogeneous traffic -1

Travel time Degree of scheduled waiting time

See equation (5) 1.0=1; 1.1=0; 1.2=-1;

1.3=-3; 1.4=-6; 1,5=-10

Degree of need for transfer

See equation (6) 0.0=1, 0,5=0; 1.0=-1

Degree of transfer waiting time

See equation (8) 1.0=1; 1.1=0; 1.2=-1;

1.3=-3; 1.4=-6; 1,5=-10 Transfer train uses opposite platform track

1

Transfer train uses same track 0

Transfers

Transfer condition Transfer train uses different platform

-1

Agreed upon recovery margins are used in timetable

1 Punctuality and reliability

Recovery margins Large deviations from agreed upon recovery margins exist in the timetable

-1

Total Up to max / Min approx 17 / -40



Conclusion & further research

• Preliminary quantitative evaluations methods for the following timetabling issues

- Timetable structure- Timetable complexity- Travel time- Transfers- Punctuality and reliability

• Quantitative evaluation indexes need further research / refinement to improve each index individually and the general timetable attractiveness index e.g. identification of preferred national timetable structure by conducting interviews and implement results in a multi-criteria analysis

• Creation of a multi-criteria objective function for timetable generation

Quantitative Methods to Evaluate Timetable Attractiveness

Thank you for your attention!

Questions?

Bernd Schittenhelm, [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Quantitative Methods to Evaluate Timetable Attractiveness RAILZürich 2009 Bernd Schittenhelm, Technical University of Denmark & Rail Net Denmark