Improving single-track railway line capacity using extended station switch point area

Abstract

The paper focuses on the possible capacity improvement of a segment between two stations of a single-track railway line by using of extended station switch point area and on methods assessing the capacity of such railway infrastructure, where a part of a single-track line segment being not equipped itself with e.g. line blocks becomes partially double-tracked. These methods can extend state-or-art general capacity assessment methods and allow more detailed assessment in this specific case. The research was conducted on three levels. The first is only analytic, the second is based on the developed own mesoscopic stochastic simulation model and the third is based on a stochastic microsimulation model elaborated by using the OpenTrack software. Divided solutions on each level can provide assessments with different demands on computation and model development. Stepwise solutions at the individual level may rationalize capacity assessment.