Rationalized Timetabling Using a Simulation Tool: A Paradigm Shift in Indian Railways

During the year 2020, Indian Railways undertook an extensive timetabling exercise for its entire network. The timetable for its six principal routes known as the golden quadrilateral + diagonals (GQD) was generated using a rail traffic simulation tool. The simulation tool and the methodology had to be customized to handle the complex technical requirements of the GQD network, which spans more than 9,000 km. Challenges related to using and integrating data into the simulator also had to be addressed. This was the first time that a simulation software tool of this kind was used for timetabling in Indian Railways, and hence, there were uncertainties regarding the timely delivery, which gave rise to additional challenges to the overall effort. This paper focuses on these challenges and the managerial and human aspects of this massive timetabling exercise. It also explains how this project leverages the benefits of combining top-down and bottom-up approaches in timetabling and how it sets a new paradigm for network-wide timetabling in Indian Railways. History: This paper was refereed. Funding: This work was supported financially through the Indian Railways–sponsored project titled “Implementing Zero Based Timetabling for Major IR Routes by IIT Bombay through Simulation Model of Mixed Rail Traffic” [Grant RD/0120-WRAIL00-002].