Resolving Scheduling Issues of the London Underground Using a Multi-agent System

We consider the scheduling issues for The London Underground (LU), which spans the entire city, and is a vast network of inter-related railway lines. By its very nature, it is a dynamic, complex and unpredictable environment; operating or being maintained 24 hours-a-day. This paper reports on an investigation into how a Multi-Agent System (MAS) may be used for resolving scheduling issues for LU. It is a previously unexplored domain. A prototype system MASLU is developed through the use of MAS technology, in an innovative and unique manner, with a view to resolving the London Undergrounds scheduling issues in real time.