Study on the Theory and Model of the Optimal Train Formation Plan of Multi-block Trains at Technical Service Stations

As an important mode of railcar operation,multi-block trains play the role of reducing accumulation time,cutting down shunting on the way and speeding car movement.However,the complexity and particularity attract few domestic specialists and scholars.So,this paper firstly expounds the meaning and characteristics of multi-block trains.Then based on optimal theories of the train formation plan of one-block trains,car-hour savings of two cases in which multi-block trains are formed respectively are analyzed in detail.With utilization of the step function,the 0-1 programming model is constructed to optimize the train formation plan of multi-block trains at technical service stations.The objective is to maximize the technical benefit,which is regarded with the working conditions of multi-block trains.Finally,the paper gives a numerical example,which proves the effectiveness of the model,and interprets its speciality and applicability.