Producing Train Driver Schedules Under Differing Operating Strategies

The privatisation of British Rail into twenty five train operating companies and three freight companies has highlighted the need for each company to have efficient operating schedules. Manpower costs are a significant element in any transport organisation, and the ability to minimise these costs is seen as crucial to the well running of these companies. In addition, the need to try out different operating strategies is gaining in importance as the search for cost cutting measures progresses. Following a feasibility study conducted with British Rail in 1990-91 the paper describes more recent work in which a new driver scheduling system TRACS II has been developed to take account of the conditions relating specially to the rail situation. Taking data from several train operating companies and talking to many others, both passenger and freight, a database of train work exhibiting a wide variety of different operating strategies has been established. This has enabled the development of new software tools and indicated new areas where further research could be made. The driver schedules produced for the train companies have shown savings in manpower requirements over those currently in operation. This situation has been achieved consistently, and savings improved as new techniques developed through the course of the work. The ease with which the drivers' labour agreement could be changed has greatly impressed the staff in the companies with whom we have worked and further research has been independently promoted. The paper will show how these savings have been achieved and indicate the types of computer techniques employed.