We investigate a spectrum of decision-making approaches, from centralized to decentralized, within the context of scheduling direct and indirect (via a hub) trains and assigning containers to trains for the rail (linehaul) portion of the intermodal trip. The goal is to minimize operating costs, including a fixed charge for each train, variable transportation and handling costs for each containe...

this paper deals with the threshold radius that warrants the use of single restraining rail for transit and railroads. different railways use different threshold radius from 91m to 365m to provide restraining rail. these threshold figures are probably experience driven choices. the need for restraining rail may be related to a so-called derailment alarm coefficient of 1.2 sustained over 2m leng...

Today there are thousands of kilometers of freight trackage in the United States over which two—and often more—railways operate regularly and safely. Tracks in Argentina, Canada, Chile, and Japan also have multiple users. Thus there is no question that rail infrastructure can be separated from operations. The question is when it should be, and what are the costs, benefits, and challenges of doi...

The evaluation and control of the trains induced vibrations needs even more attention in the case of underground tracks which passes near to monuments and historical sites. The rail corrugations which occur due to the wheels’ impulse loads during the operation period of underground railway tracks, usually amplify the ground borne noise and vibration. In the current study, the mentioned phenomen...

The control of health care costs continues to be the primary goal of managed care. Double digit inflation in the health care sector continues to be problematic; although society as a whole has not declared what fraction of economic productivity is properly applied to health care. No student of the subject can help but be impressed by the circumstantial evidence that suggests that society is beg...

The locomotive assignment and the freight train scheduling are important problems in railway transportation. Freight cars are coupled to form a freight rake. The freight rake becomes a train when a locomotive is coupled to it. The locomotive assignment problem assigns locomotives to a set of freight rakes in a way that, with minimum locomotive deadheading time, rake coupling delay and locomotiv...

the main design criteria of ballasted railway tracks include rail deflections, rail bending stresses, rail wheel contact stresses, sleeper bending moments and ballast sleeper contact pressures. numerous criteria have been defined for the design of ballasted railway tracks owing to the various mechanical properties of track components and their complex interaction. therefore, railway track desig...

Determination of frictional condition the running surface and side top rail (lubrication) that ensures best interaction rolling stock wheels rail, reduces force action thus track stability reduced wear rails in curved tracks is relevant for all net.The objective research to determine influence surfaces on forces “wheel/rail” contact with various motion parameters (speed, radius).The theoretical...

conclusions the study showed that the costs associated with cardiovascular diseases were not reasonable for many of these patients and their families. this certainly requires more consideration by managers and policy makers in the health care sector and the implementation of effective interventions. results the study findings showed that the total cost of cardiovascular diseases was 13,074,700 ...