Train rescheduling for a metro corridor under unidirectional disruptions considering the trade-off between confirm phase and interrupt phase

Abstract

Metro systems serve as vital transportation arteries in large cities, playing a crucial role in public transit networks. However, failures such as track blockages, signal malfunctions, or train breakdowns frequently disrupt metro services. Given the substantial impact of different rescheduling strategies on transport capacity, this study incorporates the time required for dispatchers to confirm disruptions. The problem of large-scale rescheduling is reformulated into a two-stage process, the confirm phase and the interrupt phase, to analyze the trade-offs between various rescheduling strategies more effectively. Five rescheduling models are developed, each designed for specific turn-around scenarios, aiming to minimize total delay time and enhance train utilization efficiency. These models account for distinct operational conditions, train scheduling dynamics, and constraints associated with each turn-around type. The proposed rescheduling approach is applied to Shanghai Metro's Line 2, with experimental results confirming its effectiveness. The feasibility of the optimization outcomes is further validated using TPM commercial software. Additionally, the study evaluates the influence of confirmation time and turn-around type on rescheduling outcomes and overall efficiency.