Method and apparatus for congestion management

• US 20060212189A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Philp, Joseph Wesley, Kickbusch, Joel, Wills, Mitchell Scott, Markley, Randall
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/10 Operations, e.g. scheduling or time tables
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/16 Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation

Abstract

A scheduling system and method for moving plural objects through a multipath system described as a freight railway scheduling system. The scheduling system utilizes a cost reactive resource scheduler to minimize resource exception while at the same time minimizing the global costs associated with the solution. The achievable movement plan can be used to assist in the control of, or to automatically control, the movement of trains through the system. Deadlock is avoided by controlling the entry of trains into congested areas, and may be automatically implemented by the use of traffic flow analysis algorithms.

Claims

1. A method of managing congestion in a railway system having a network of track and a plurality of trains scheduled to traverse the rail network comprising:

(a) detecting congestion along the rail network and identifying a first train involved in the congestion;

(b) identifying a back-off area surrounding the congestion;

(c) selecting a safe spot outside the back-off are for a second train that was previously planned to enter the back-off area;

(d) plan the movement of the second train to the safe spot;

(e) identify alternative resources available to alleviate congestion; and

(f) plan the movement of the first train using the identified alternative resources.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the back-off area is be defined by a circle surrounding the congested area having a radius determined as a function of one of the train density in the congestion, train density in the outlying area, type of the congestion, size of the congestion or track topography.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified alternative resources includes a track section not normally available to a movement planner.

5. The method of claim 1 where the steps of (c) and (d) are performed for each train planned to enter the back-off area.

6. The method of claim 5 where the steps of (b) and (c) are performed for each train approaching the congestion.

4. A method of managing congestion in a railway system having a network of track and a plurality of trains scheduled to traverse the rail network comprising:

(a) detecting congestion detecting congestion along the rail network;

(b) selecting a train that is approaching the congestion; and

(c) rescheduling the selected train to delay the train at a selected location at a predetermined distance from the congestion;

wherein the selected location is an area where other trains may pass along the rail network.