OpenTrack - Simulation of Railway Networks

Andrew B. Nash
IVT - ETH Zurich

nash@ivt.baug.ethz.ch
Agenda

• Overview
• Railway Planning
• OpenTrack Description
• OpenTrack Uses & Examples
• Q&A
Challenge of Railway Planning

Products
Optimize and Trade-Off:

Infrastructure,
Optimization Rolling Stock and
Operations....
within
Budget and Physical
Rolling Stock Infrastructure Constraints
Railway Simulation: A Critical Tool

• Understanding Capacity
• Interrelated Infrastructure - Operations - Rolling
Stock

• High Cost of Improvements

Suite of Analysis Tools

OpenTrack Partners’ approach: Use several different

tools together in the planning process.

• Viriato - Timetable and service planning

• OpenTrack - Operational simulation
• OpenTimetable - Schedule analysis (real data)
RailML - Project

• Development of a standard mark-up language

(XML) for use in railway applications.

• Objective: Simplify use of multiple applications in

railway planning and applications.
infrastructure

railml rollingstock

timetable
What is OpenTrack?

• A virtual Railway Laboratory

• A Tool to bring the Railway Reality into your Office
• A Tool to manage, simulate, evaluate and
document your Railway Projects

• A Tool to communicate with your Clients, the

Authority, ...
What is simulated?

• All important Processes on a given Railway

Network

• Train Movements (Position, Speed, ...)

• Behaviour of the Signalling System (Signals,
Routes)

• Dispatching of Train Services (Priorities, ...)

• Delays, Failures and Incidents
Typical Tasks

• Comparing future Infrastructure Scenarios

• Analyzing the Capacity of Lines and Stations
• Rolling Stock Studies (e.g. future Rolling Stock)
• Timetable Construction, Robustness Analysis
• Analyzing various Signalling Systems
Our Partners: Railway Operators

Frankfurt, Germany Zoetermeer, The Netherlands

SBB CFF FFS

Berne, Switzerland Borlänge, Sweden

Chur, Switzerland Lisbon, Portugal

Burgdorf, Switzerland Adelaide, Australia

Our Partners: Consultancies

Zurich, Switzerland
Wallisellen, Switzerland Berlin, Germany BerlinLondon, United
& Erlangen, Kingdom
Germany

Zurich, Switzerland
Winterthur, Switzerland München, Germany Birmingham, United Kingdom
Berlin, Germany

Zurich, Switzerland Dresden, Germany Utrecht, The Netherlands

Zurich, Switzerland Monselice, Italy Sydney, Australia

Root-Lengenbold, Switzerland Lisbon, Portugal

Input Simulation Output

km/h

150 100
220.0 km/h 100 200

50 250
50
0 300

0
0 10 20 30 40 km

Rolling Stock Diagrams

Interactivity
km
40

30

20

10
Station A
0
S4
08:00 09:00 10:00

S7 S5
S3
Train Graph
S6
S2 S8

2201 2203 2205

S1 Track 1

(111) 221 (113)

Infrastructure Track 2

(112) 222
Track 3

08:00 08:30 09:00

Occupations
Course ID Station Arrival Departure Wait
IC 5000 IGG HH:MM:SS 08:20:00 0 s
IC 5000 YPS 08:24:00 08:25:00 60 200
IC 5000 OBE HH:MM:SS 08:31:00 30
RE 8002

8002
IC 5000 AAT HH:MM:SS 08:38:00 60 100

8002
8000

8000

2001

2003
IC 5000 GRS HH:MM:SS HH:MM:SS 0
IC 101

103
111
IC 5000 PEW HH:MM:SS HH:MM:SS 0
0
IC 5000 WED 08:55:00 HH:MM:SS 60

WED
WED

PEW
PEW

OBE

ZET
ZET

IGG
Timetable Animation
Statistics
Input Data: Rolling Stock

[kN]
350

300
good
250
normal
200

150 bad

100 BR 189
AC 15kV / 25 kV
50 DC 3.0 kV
DC 1.5 kV
0
50 100 150 [km/h]

BR 189 of DB AG Tractive Effort / Speed - Diagrams

Input Data: Infrastructure

Mathematical Model: Double Vertex Graph

S2 S8

S5 S10
S1 W1 S3 W2 K1 K2 S7 W3 S9

S6 S4 S11

Data Model: UML (e.g. Class Diagram)

1 Topologieelement
{abstrakt}
bezeichnung

*
1..* 2 0..2 1..* 1..* Strecken-
Signalinformation 1 Signal Knoten Kante Betriebsstelle
geschwindigkeit
typ
aktuelleInformation

kilometrierung länge richtung geoinformationen

infoAusbreitung steigung geschwindigkeit eigentümer
{subset}

1 sucheFahrwege() * 0, 1
radius ausrüstung
1 querschnitt /nachbarKnoten
nachbar spurweite
Mehrfachsignal ausrüstung
Stations- /belegung
wechsleInfo() querschnitt
Station
betriebsstellengebiet
/nachbarStationen
Hauptsignal Kontinuierliches
Signal

öffnen()
schliessen() erlaubeFahrt()
verhindereFahrt()
Model / Animation: Infrastructure

FR10000 ! !

RE10003

.
355

354
IC200
08
353

352
Olten
351

569
Output: Diagrams (Speed, Acc. / Distance)

S-Bahn Zurich
Output: Diagrams (Time/Distance)
[km]
24
Time / Distance
Iggswil
23

22

21

20

19

Ypslikon 18

S-Bahn Zurich 17

16
(Moving Block) 15
Aathal
14

13

12

Zetthausen 11

10

7
13:10 13:20 13:30 13:40 Time
Output: Timetable / Train Graph

MOGN
SGAA
STGE
FRSP
REIK
WEN

FRD

VAR

PRE

DOII
GW

DO
BR
TH

SP

FR

VI

IS
10.00 10.00
44 182 530 53 39
826 38 8 36 831 831342 4 44
514 46 438 8
37

53
15 4 45 940 403 5359
39
43 9
35 14
3 1942 57 44
47

02
4

5
36 18
.10
5 38 22 .10

1
43
85 94 4 4 21444404
.20 .20
5 830 3
52

49
43 45 2 4
83 51

21
83
3
.30 94 54 .30

24
0 8
2133 43

49
25 6
18 85
513

.40 53 53 .40

96
85 47
4

53
9

7 48

27
1941 18
.50 46 .50
37 38

8
18

05
26

44
11.00 11.00
44
47

06
3 1952
47

.10 .10

1
43
06 95 2154
.20 5 .20
49
23

83
5 4 2
.30 950 966 38 36 .30
2143 51
4
96
26

53
49
51

.40 53 .40
45

06 47
9 66
58
9

5 43
29

830
BLS Alptransit
18

1951
.50 .50

8
18
16
39

2
New Base Tunnel
44
8
65

12.00 12.00
Output: Train Graph / Blocking Time Stairway
08.00 .10 .20 .30 .40 .50 09.00 .10 .20 .30 .40 .50 10.00
Station Z

RE1000
RE1000

IC4000

IC4002

IC4004

IC4006
FR35000

FR35002
01

2
0

IC40

Station Y

Station T
10

Station U
1

3
0

3
RE1000

RE1000
SE6000

FR3500

FR3500
003

005

00 7
IC4

IC4

IC4
Station V
08.00 .10 .20 .30 .40 .50 09.00 .10 .20 .30 .40 .50 10.00
Output: Timetable (planned vs. actual)
08.00 .10 .20 .30 .40 .50 09.00
STATZ
0001
FR 4

RE1
IC4

IC4
FR 3

FR 4
00

00
00 0

5000

0002
0

2
0

STATY
FR

STATT
40
00
0

STATU
1

3
000

5 00

0 00
RE1

FR 3

FR 4
01 00
3
40 4
IC IC
STATV
08.00 .10 .20 .30 .40 .50 09.00
 0
100
200
300
400
500
[s]
0
100
200
300
400
500
[s]
8003 PEW
8003

8001 PEW
8001

20002 IGG

20002
20000 IGG

20000 8002 IGG

8000 IGG
8002

20003 PEW

8000
20001 PEW

20003 20000 YPS

20002 YPS
20001
Output: Delay Statistics

all Delays

average Delay per Train

Simulation of Incidents and Failures

Definition of Failures and Incidents

Simulation of Incidents and Failures

Rotterdam
RA South
RA North
Schipol

07.00 07.00
DR1 IN4

.10 IL3 DC2 .10

IN5
.20 .20
IN6
.30 DC3 .30
IL4
.40 DR4 .40
IN7
.50 .50
IN8 Simulation Results
08.00 DR3 08.00

.10 IL5 DC4 .10

IN9
.20 .20
IN10
.30 DC5 .30
IL6
.40 DR6 .40
IN11
.50 .50
IN12
DR5
09.00 09.00
OpenTrack: Advantages

• Easy to use and understand

• Accurately simulates railway operations
• Wide variety of output formats and data
• Can be easily customized for particular user needs
• RailML compatibility
OpenTrack: Applications

• Strategic
• Tactical
• Operational
OpenTrack: Stategic Planning Example

Basel Region Evaluation

• Objective: Optimize infrastructure in Basel region

to take full advantage of new St. Gotthard Pass
Basis Tunnel.

• Analyze: Infrastructure plans and development

scenarios; Operational changes (e.g. train length);
Schedule changes.
OpenTrack: Tactical/Operational Planning
Example

Network Rail Route Modernization (Great Britain)

• Objective: Develop plan for major infrastructure renewal project.

• Cross Country Route (Birmingham – Sheffield)
• Operations analysis (over 2,000 trains/3 hour period)
• Analyze: Impact of track possessions; Optimize work plans for
each possessions; Develop contingency plans.
OpenTrack: Questions / More Information

http://www.opentrack.ch

nash@ivt.baug.ethz.ch
Projects 1 (Switzerland)

• Capacity Study of the Zurich Region

• Simulation S-Bahn Berne
• Line Basel - Olten
• Line Olten - Lucerne (ETCS Level 2)
• New SBB-Line Mattstetten-Rothrist (ETCS Level 2)
• Simulation of the Bruenig-Line (Rackrail)
Projects 2 (Europe)

• Simulation of the Lübeck Region (Germany)

• Simulation of the Basle Region (Germany)
• Maglev: Ruhrgebiet (Germany)
• Vattenfall Europe Mining Network (Germany)
• Simulation of the Freight Terminal Graz (Austria)
• Liaison Rapide Normandie Val de Seine (France)
Projects 3 (Europe)

• Carillion Newport South Wales (UK)

• Simulation Amey Rail (UK)
• Manchester Metrolink (UK)
• Simulation HSL Zuid (The Netherlands)
• Portuguese Main Line Lisbon-Porto (Portugal)
• Light Rail System (Turkey)
Projects 4 (Asia, Australia, South America)

• Fast Rail Project Victoria: Ballarat Line (Australia)

• Simulation of the Latrobe Valley (Australia)
• Express Rail Link Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
• MRTA Bangkok (Thailand)
• Shanghai Metro - Light Rail System (China)
• Metro Maracaibo (Venezuela)
Q&A