Reducing the Shortage of Railway Capacity through Introduction of Interval Regulation of Train Traffic

Abstract

The article presents various options for technical and technological provisions to develop the capacity of railway lines, where there is a need to master the increasing volumes of traffic caused by various factors, for example, changes in national and world cargo flows, passenger flows.The paper considers provisions undertaken to adopt and effectively implement a new technology of virtual coupling in the interval regulation of train traffic in the conditions of limited railway capacity which makes it possible to reduce inter-train intervals, electricity costs of traction as well as of infrastructure maintenance. This type of interval control allows controlling the following locomotive considering the information that is transmitted over the radio from the locomotive of the pilot train in front. The problems that arise during the traffic process controlled through virtual coupling mode are also identified followed by the model calculations referring to a system being introduced of stimulation and bonuses awarding intended for assistant station masters and traffic dispatchers of traction divisions respective of the number of dispatched and transit trains controlled through virtual coupling mode.