The architecture of decision-making support systems used for the rational railway capacity management

Decision-making support systems in railway transport are systems that make it easier for traffic controllers and dispatchers involved in the regulation of train traffic to make individual decisions more easily and accurately. Without such systems, dispatchers usually make decisions based on previous experiences and feelings they have developed working in train traffic control. However, quality decision-making support systems are based on large amounts of data processed by one or several different artificial intelligence techniques. This paper will examine the architecture of such a system in railway transport, which helps the dispatcher to make decisions based on different criteria and values of individual criteria. The architecture of this decision-making support system has been developed to equal or, if necessary, use the maximum available double-track railway line capacity to resolve delays caused by lack of capacity for any given route. This system has been developed for the specific configuration of a double track, whereby each track is intended for one direction of train traffic. This paper will lay the foundation for understanding decision-making support systems and for the development of a specific model of decision-making support system in practice.