Energy-Efficient and Safe-Separation Operation for Successive Trains

Paper in proceeding, 2023

Energy-efficient and safe-separation during train operation is of great significance for urban rail transit systems, particularly on lines with high traffic density. This paper integrates the two issues and proposes a general cooperative operation method for successive trains with no limit on the number of trains. The cooperation problem is formulated as an optimal control problem and then solved as a nonlinear program. By simultaneously optimizing the speed profiles of each train, the total traction energy of the multi-train system can be minimized, ensuring safety by imposing dynamic time headway constraints among adjacent trains throughout the entire distance horizon. Moreover, a dynamic programming method is developed for comparative study, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.