Railway Delay Propagation Mapping for Single-Track Stops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for tracing the propagation of delays in railway systems are inefficient and inconsistent due to their reliance on manual assessment, lacking automated processes to determine and analyze the relationships between train stops and their causes, especially in single-track railways.
Innovation Solution
A computer system and method that utilizes sensors to collect data on train stops, classifies them as primary or secondary, and uses algorithms to automatically determine associations between these stops, displaying and updating these associations through a graphical user interface with user input for enhanced accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual assessment methods are used to trace delay propagation, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but time consumption and inconsistency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical assessment process with an automated computer-based system that uses algorithms to analyze sensor data and determine delay propagation associations, thereby eliminating time-consuming manual tracing while maintaining operational flexibility through programmable logic
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the computer to automatically collect sensor data, process information, and generate delay propagation analysis without requiring manual intervention, thus reducing time consumption while maintaining the ability to adapt through automated decision-making algorithms
2Reliability
If manual assessment methods are used to trace delay propagation, then operational experience can be applied, but consistency and uniformity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual expert assessment with an automated computer-based analysis system that applies consistent algorithms to all delay propagation cases, ensuring uniform measurement precision while capturing operational experience through programmed logic and historical data analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms qualitative operational experience into quantifiable parameters that can be consistently processed by the computer, converting subjective expert judgment into objective, measurable data points that maintain consistency across different assessments
3Productivity
If automated sensor data collection is implemented, then efficiency increases, but the ability to create relationships between trains and stops decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual relationship tracing with an automated computer-based system that uses algorithms to analyze sensor data and automatically establish relationships between trains and stops, thereby maintaining efficiency while preventing information loss through systematic data processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary computational layer that processes sensor data and automatically infers relationships between trains and stops, acting as a mediator that preserves critical information while maintaining the efficiency of automated data collection
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods for determining a propagation of delays. In some embodiments, a computer system includes: a processor; a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to execute operations. The operations may include receiving first information related to a first stop by a first train on a first track and receiving second information related to a second stop by a second train on the first track. The operations may further include determining an association between the duration of the second stop of the second train and the reason for the first stop of the first train and displaying an indication of the association on a graphical user interface. Lastly, the operations may include determining an updated association between the first stop and second stop based on a user input into the graphical user interface.