Simulation support tool for real-time dispatching control in public transport

In practice punctuality of transit service has been a chronic operational problem mainly due to the random environment and very high complexity of the public transport processes. This challenging problem affects both travellers (reliability of service) as well as operators (productivity and efficiency of resources utilization). The potential of new information and communication technologies and existing hardware possibilities offer great opportunities for the development of effective and flexible management and control tools for public transport. In this paper the simulation decision-support tool for dynamic optimal dispatching control purposes have been developed, with the use of the SIMULINK package with Toolboxes. The following optimal dispatching control problems have been solved: punctuality control (which compensates deviations from schedule), regularity control (which compensates deviations from regular headway) and synchronizing control with linear (LQ, dead-beat) feedback and control and system state constraints; LQG stochastic control with real-time estimation of the model parameters; and bus route zone control for synchronising passenger transfers or the operation of different lines on common segments of the route. The results presented are illustrated by 15 numerical examples. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.