Last train station-skipping, transfer-accessible and energy-efficient scheduling in subway networks

Abstract Station-skipping and deadheading for subway operation regulations are two effective ways to reduce the effects of train variations, such as large passenger flow and unexpected incidents. These variations, if not properly eliminated through strategies, will lead to a gap in the train and eventually increase passenger waiting time and energy consumption. This paper addresses the last-train station-skipping, transfer-accessible, and energy-efficient scheduling problem for the subway system by optimizing the subway schedule and the last train station-skipping scheme. First, an integrated last train operational model was developed to achieve energy savings and better performance of transfer waiting and in-train travel times by adjusting train acceleration, cruising, coasting, and braking times on each rail segment. Second, a heuristic evaluation-based optimization algorithm was designed to solve a real-life case study of the Beijing Subway to demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods. Two operational strategies (station-skipping and deadheading) for the last trains were designed and compared quantitatively. The results indicate that the station-skipping plan shows an advantage in minimizing the in-train travel time and energy consumption.