The new Shinkansen rescheduling system for drivers and crew

摘要

We are now undertaking development of the new rescheduling plan system for drivers and crew, to synchronize with the forecast train plan. The East Japan Railway Company has five Bullet Train (Shinkansen) lines operating about 800 trains per day, dispatching nearly 250 drivers and 350 crew per day to make the trains operational. To keep the operation plan and management of Shinkansen in order, we have the system named COSMOS (Computerized Safety Maintenance and Operation systems of Shinkansen). The drivers and crew work plans are made with the drivers and crew rescheduling system, one of the subsystems of the COSMOS transportation planning system. Each driver and crew works on their train according to the work plan normally decided on beforehand. However, sometimes trains would be unable to operate on schedule when weather is bad or car troubles occur. In such cases, the work plan must be redesigned. Should the change affect two or more crews' the redesigned plan should only change the plan of one crew member. It is very difficult to make this plan change because the delay of the train changes minute by minute. To change the crews' work plans adequately, we have developed a new system. This system displays the contradictions of the change plans of the crew if the train delay happens. Work planners make the change plan to solve these contradictions. The changing of jobs can be selected for the most suitable options, accurately and quickly, based on the computer supporting systems. We reduce the delay time of trains by utilizing this system and it will improve our services for customers.