System and method for computing rail car switching solutions in a switchyard using an iterative method

• US 20070156301A1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canadian National Railway Company
• Original Assignee: Canadian National Railway Company
• Inventors: Morency, Vincent, Pathak, Anshu, Doyle, Gordon, Muinonen, Kari, Barker, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 17/00 Switching systems for classification yards

Abstract

A system for computing car switching solutions in a railway switch yard. The system is computer based and has an input for receiving data conveying information about one or more arrival trains arriving at the switch yard and data conveying information about departure trains to depart the switch yard. A processing entity processes the data and computes car switching solutions for the railcars.

Claims

1. ) A system for computing car switching solutions in a railway switch yard containing a plurality of cars in a switching queue to be sequentially switched to respective classification tracks, said system comprising;

a) a processing entity for iteratively computing switching solutions for each car as the car progresses through the switching queue;

b) an output for releasing data conveying at least one of the car switching solutions computed by said processing entity.

2. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said output includes a user interface allowing communicating to a user the car switching solutions.

3. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said output is intended for connection to a car switch control system that derives car switching commands from the third data.

4. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said processing entity computes an expected switch time for one or more cars and uses the computed expected switch time to compute car switching solutions for the one or more cars.

5. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said system has an input for receiving data indicative of an ETA of a car at the switch yard, said processing unit computing one or more car switching solutions by using the data indicative of an ETA as a factor.

6. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said processing entity computes car switching solutions concurrently locating a first set of cars and a second set of cars in a common classification track, wherein the first and second sets of cars belong to train blocks of different departure trains.

7. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the classification yard has a plurality of classification tracks, wherein a first classification track holds a first train block, wherein said system has an input for receiving data conveying information related to a pull time of the first train block and wherein said processing entity determines if space exists in the first classification track to receive cars that belong to a second train block, by using as a factor the information related to the pull time of the first train block.

8. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the switch yard has a plurality of classification tracks and wherein a first classification track holds a first train block, wherein said system has an input for receiving data conveying information related to an arrival profile of a second train block and wherein said processing entity determines if space exists in the first classification track to receive cars that belong to the second train block, by using as a factor the information related to the arrival profile of the second train block.

9. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the switch yard is a hump switch yard.

10. ) A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the switch yard is a flat switch yard.

11. ) A method for computing car switching solutions in a railway switch yard containing a plurality of cars in a switching queue to be sequentially switched to respective classification tracks, said method comprising;

a) iteratively computing switching solutions for each car as the car progresses through the switching queue;

b) releasing data at an output for conveying at least one of the car switching solutions.

12. ) A method as defined in claim 11, including communicating to a user the car switching solutions.

13. ) A method as defined in claim 11, including communicating the data to a car switch control system that derives car switching commands from the data.

14. ) A method as defined in claim 11, including computing an expected switch time for one or more cars and using the computed expected switch time to compute car switching solutions for the one or more cars.

15. ) A method as defined in claim 11, including receiving at an input data indicative of an ETA of a car at the switch yard, said method further including computing one or more car switching solutions by using the data indicative of an ETA as a factor.

16. ) A method as defined in claim 11, including computing car switching solutions that concurrently locate a first set of cars and a second set of cars in a common classification track of the switch yard, wherein the first and second sets of cars belong to train blocks of different departure trains.

17. ) A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the classification yard has a plurality of classification tracks, wherein a first classification track holds a first train block, wherein said method includes receiving at an input data conveying information related to a pull time of the first train block, said method further including determining if space exists in the first classification track to receive cars that belong to a second train block, by using as a factor the information related to the pull time of the first train block.

18. ) A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the switch yard has a plurality of classification tracks and wherein a first classification track holds a first train block, wherein said method includes receiving at an input data conveying information related to an arrival profile of a second train block and wherein said method also includes determining if space exists in the first classification track to receive cars that belong to the second train block, by using as a factor the information related to the arrival profile of the second train block.

19. ) A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the switch yard is a hump switch yard.

20. ) A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the switch yard is a flat switch yard.