Enumeration-based Crew Rescheduling Support System for Railway Disruption Management

Managing disruptions on railway networks with high-density train services can be challenging for rescheduling crew members. It is crucial to reschedule their duties flexibly to ensure reliable services. However, conventional approaches to crew rescheduling can make it difficult for resource dispatchers to find appropriate solutions as they provide fixed objectives and constraints. To address this, we have developed a user assistance system that enables dispatchers to compare feasible crew plans and select one that suits the current situation. The system employs two techniques, zero-suppressed binary decision diagrams and satisfying trade-off methods, to achieve this goal. Testing on a medium-sized railway line showed that the system outperformed the conventional approach in terms of obtaining a user-preferred crew plan. The results indicate that the system is effective in interactive comparison situations, assisting resource dispatchers in improving their tasks and ensuring reliable railway services even during disruptions. © 2024 The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.