Reinventing crew scheduling at Netherlands Railways

摘要

To describe the development of an OR-based model (TURNI) and its application in improving the overall service quality of the Netherlands' railway system. The Dutch railway system faced a serious occupational crisis in 2001 involving dissatisfaction of its 6500+ employees with the structure of their duties, which led to nationwide strikes. Successful application of an OR research model which supported the development of an alternative set of scheduling rules (called sharing-sweet-and-sour) was found to satisfy the requirements of the drivers and conductors, as well as cutting costs by about $4.8million per annum. The railway operator could even reduce personnel costs by over $7 million per year. Salient features of the system are explained.