An implementation of cellular automaton model for single-line train working diagram
Hua Wei (花伟)a, Liu Junb
a Key Laboratory of Intelligent Technologies and Systems of Traffic and Transportation, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China; b School of Computing and Mathematics, Faculty of Engineering,University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Newtownabbey BT 37 0 QB, Northern Ireland, UK
Abstract According to the railway transportation system's characteristics, a new cellular automaton model for the single-line railway system is presented in this paper. Based on this model, several simulations were done to imitate the train operation under three working diagrams. From a different angle the results show how the organization of train operation impacts on the railway carrying capacity. By using the non-parallel train working diagram the influence of fast-train on slow-train is found to be the strongest. Many slow-trains have to wait in-between neighbouring stations to let the fast-train(s) pass through first. So the slow-train will advance like a wave propagating from the departure station to the arrival station. This also resembles the situation of a highway jammed traffic flow. Furthermore, the nonuniformity of travel times between the sections also greatly limits the railway carrying capacity. After converting the nonuniform sections into the sections with uniform travel times while the total travel time is kept unchanged, all three carrying capacities are improved greatly as shown by simulation. It also shows that the cellular automaton model is an effective and feasible way to investigate the railway transportation system.
Received: 28 August 2005
Revised: 08 January 2006
Accepted manuscript online:
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