With the aim of supporting future traffic needs, an account of how to reconstruct an existing cyclic timetable by inserting additional train services will be given in this paper. The Timetable-based Extra Train Services Inserting (TETSI) problem is regarded as an integration of railway scheduling and rescheduling problem. The TETSI problem therefore is considered involving many constraints, such as flexible running times, dwell times, headway and time windows. Characterized based on an event-activity graph, a general Mixed Integer Program model for this problem is formulated. In addition, several extensions to the general model are further proposed. The real-world constraints that concerning the acceleration and deceleration times, priority for overtaking, allowed adjustments, periodic structure and frequency of services are incorporated into the general model. From numerical investigations using data from Shanghai-Hangzhou High-Speed Railway in China, the proposed framework and associated techniques are tested and shown to be effective.@en

Due to several obvious advantages both in transport marketing and train operation planning, the cyclic timetable has already applied in many high-speed railway (HSR) countries. In order to adopt the cyclic timetable in China's HSR system, a Mixed Integer Programmer (MIP) model is proposed in this paper involving many general constraints, such as running time, dwell time, headway, and connection constraints. In addition, the real-world overtaking rule that concerning a train with higher priority will not be overtaken by a slower one is incorporated into the cyclic timetable optimization model. An approach based on fixed departure is proposed to get a cyclic timetable with minimum total journey time within a reasonable time. From numerical investigations using data from Guangzhou-Zhuhai HSR line in China, the proposed model and associated approach are tested and shown to be effective.@en

Formation of the microstructural ferrite/pearlite bands in medium Mn steels is an undesirable phenomenon commonly addressed through fast cooling treatments. In this study, a novel approach using the cyclic partial phase transformation concept is applied successfully to prevent microstructural band formation in a micro-chemically banded Fe-C-Mn-Si steel. The effectiveness of the new approach is assessed using the ASTM E1268-01 standard. The cyclic intercritical treatments lead to formation of isotropic microstructures even for cooling rates far below the critical one determined in conventional continuous cooling. In contrast, isothermal intercritical experiments have no effect on the critical cooling rate to suppress microstructural band formation. The origin of the suppression of band formation either by means of fast cooling or a cyclic partial phase transformation is investigated in detail. Theoretical modeling and microstructural observations confirm that band formation is suppressed only if the intercritical annealing treatment leads to partial reversion of the austenite-ferrite interfaces. The resulting interfacial Mn enrichment is responsible for suppression of the band formation upon final cooling at low cooling rates.

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The application of cyclic train line plan has found an increasingly wide utilization in high-speed railway system while reasonable length of cycle also becomes an essential element of it. In order to apply the cyclic train line plan to Chinese high-speed rail system, the idea of candidate set is introduced and a Mixed Integer Programmer (MIP) model of periodic train line planning based on candidate set is established in this paper. The periodic train line planning problem is considered involving many general constraints, such as the passenger demand, the service frequency, the railway track capacity and variable constraints. The maximum service frequency is determined by specifying the maximum number of trains in every cycle. Besides, according to the data from Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, different cycle length of 1 hour, 2 hours and 4 hours is set to generate different cyclic train line plan. By comparing the service quality of the periodic train line plan and the existing one, the effectiveness of the proposed model and relevant method are verified.@en

Volume: THERMEC 2013 Supplement@en