Simulation models in digital twins of railway junctions

Abstract

The development of information technologies and technical means of data registration creates conditions for filling simulation models of railway transport with actual data. It allows us to use simulation models to create digital counterparts of railway stations and junctions. The experience of using simulation models to perform the tasks of designing and operational planning of railway transport systems of various complexity is analyzed. An overview of modern computer programs for simulation of railway transport is presented, the advantages and disadvantages of the specialized software tools are illustrated. The authors propose an approach to build a digital twin of a railway junction based on the universal simulation tool AnyLogic. The problems and limitations of using simulation models in digital twins for operational management of railway stations and junctions are systematized. Software solutions are proposed, the implementation of which makes it possible to provide an adequate representation of the operational situation at the railway station in the digital twin. A three-level architecture of a digital twin of a railway junction has been developed, including a description of the track development scheme, the technology of the transportation process, as well as a method for synchronizing model and actual data. Examples of the interface of a digital twin of non-public railway tracks are presented. The implementation of the developed twin at the mining enterprise allowed to increase the efficiency of decisions taken to coordinate the work of production units and transport, reduce idle time and increase the productivity of the ore-processing mill as a result of supplying it with raw materials of the required range at a given time.