Development of Simulation Model for Evaluating Operational Performance of Railroad Networks

摘要

Freight rail transportation is a cost effective and environmentally friendly form of goods movement. A railroad network consists of a series of links (rail lines) that connect classification yards that act as hubs for all freight traffic. Railroads move freight traffic on their network based on an overall operation plan that includes blocking, train formation, and train scheduling plans. The optimization of these operations over the entire network is integral to maximizing the efficiency and minimizing costs and delays in delivery. This paper presents a simulation model for analyzing various operation plans of a network of classification yards. The objective is to move all freight on the network with minimal cost. Simulation and comparison of several operation plans will result in a 'best case' optimized plan that can then be implemented. A routing model is developed to assist in evaluating and analyzing the operation plans and guidelines for establishing an integral operation plan are presented. The model implements a discrete state, deterministic simulation approach. The software, which is user-friendly, is programmed in Excel using VBA. Application of the developed model is demonstrated using a hypothetical network. The results show that the model is an effective tool in evaluating various scenarios and helping the user to determine the best operation plan.