WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development
Print ISSN: 1790-5079, E-ISSN: 2224-3496
Volume 15, 2019
A Total Cost Approach (TCA) for Optimising Energy-Saving Measures in Disruption Conditions
Authors: ,
Abstract: Power supply required for operating rail convoys represents a great cost item for train companies which are paying increasing attention to energy-saving and energy-recovery measures aimed at reducing traction energy consumption and maximising the sustainability of railway system. Indeed, such a transport mode is able to move large volumes of passengers with high energy efficiency and low environmental impact. However, energy saving strategies affect both rail operations and passengers’ satisfaction, and have to be properly implemented in the case of disruption conditions. Specifically, the paper analyses the implementation of energy-efficient speed profiles in a perturbed condition characterised by fleet unavailability and provides a rescheduling methodology based on an ad-hoc optimisation framework, taking into account the trade-off between service providers and service customers’ needs. Indeed, on one hand, the lower the number of operating convoys, the lower the energy consumption; but, on the other hand, this implies a reduction in service frequency with an increase in passenger waiting times. Finally, the proposed approach has been applied in the case of a regional rail line in the south of Italy, in order to point out its usefulness.
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Keywords: Railway systems, energy-saving, energy-recovery, disruption conditions, total cost approach, optimisation framework
Pages: 182-188
WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, ISSN / E-ISSN: 1790-5079 / 2224-3496, Volume 15, 2019, Art. #20