System and method for scheduling and pacing trains

Abstract

A hierarchy of procedures sets pacing schedules for trains operating in a railroad network. At a train level of the hierarchy, a network coordinator sends time windows to a train indicating when the train should arrive at or depart from a siding along its track. The time windows provide flexibility for the train to adjust its pace as needed, for example, to conserve fuel. At a territory level, if the train indicates that it cannot comply with the time windows, the coordinator evaluates and adjusts pacing schedules at least for other trains sharing the same track in the territory to avoid conflicts, again providing time windows for the trains to adjust their pace as needed. At a network level, the coordinator ensures that pacing schedules adjusted for a territory also meet time windows set for trains crossing a boundary into another territory in the network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a scheduling module configured to generate an initial movement plan and a modified movement plan for at least a first train and a second train to operate on a track within a railroad network during a time period, the initial movement plan including a first pacing schedule for the first train and a second pacing schedule for the second train, the scheduling module comprising:
 a train-level pacing module configured to determine time-window data for the first train comprising an earliest arrival time (EAT) and a latest time of arrival (LTA) to arrive at a siding along the track for the first pacing schedule under the initial movement plan, wherein the train-level pacing module is further configured to cause the time-window data to be delivered to the first train and to receive compliance feedback and an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the first train at the siding under a modified first pacing schedule, and 
 a territory-level pacing module configured, in response to the compliance feedback indicating the first train will not comply within the time-window data, to identify a conflict between the modified first pacing schedule and the second pacing schedule and to generate a modified second pacing schedule as part of the modified movement plan; 
   one or more processors configured to execute the scheduling module to generate the initial movement plan and the modified movement plan; and   a network interface configured to communicate the EAT, the LTA, and the ETA between the scheduling module and the first train.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a network-level pacing module configured, in response to the modified second pacing schedule generated by the territory-level pacing module, to identify that the second train will not cross a boundary from a first territory to a second territory within the railroad network during an arrival window identified in the initial movement plan.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the network-level pacing module is further configured, in response to identifying that the second train will not cross the boundary during the arrival window, to further change the modified second pacing schedule as part of the modified movement plan to cross the boundary within the arrival window. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the train-level pacing module is further configured to generate the modified first pacing schedule based at least in part on the ETA. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time-window data further comprises an estimated time of departure (ETD) for the first train to depart the siding for the initial movement plan. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the train-level pacing module is further configured to determine additional time-window data for the first train to arrive at additional sidings along the track for the initial movement plan, wherein the train-level pacing module is further configured to cause the additional time-window data to be delivered to the first train. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the train-level pacing module is further configured to determine other time-window data for the second train to arrive at the siding for the initial movement plan, wherein the train-level pacing module is further configured to cause the other time-window data to be delivered to the second train. 
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 generating, by one or more processors, an initial movement plan for trains within at least a first territory of a railroad network, the initial movement plan including a first pacing schedule for a first train and a second pacing schedule for a second train, the first train and the second train sharing a track;   identifying, by the one or more processors, a meet-and-pass for the first train and the second train at a siding of the track;   calculating, by the one or more processors, first timing data defining a first time window, the first time window defining a first earliest arrival time (EAT) and a first latest time of arrival (LTA) for the first train at the siding;   causing the first timing data to be sent to the first train;   receiving, by the one or more processors, first compliance feedback from the first train, the first compliance feedback indicating that the first train will not comply with the first timing data;   at least in response to the first compliance feedback, generating, by the one or more processors, a modified movement plan; and   causing, by the one or more processors, the first train and the second train to proceed according to the modified movement plan.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 before generating the modified movement plan, receiving from the first train, by the one or more processors, a first estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the first train at the siding; and   determining, by the one or more processors, that the first EAT will require modification of the second pacing schedule.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 generating, by the one or more processors, a modified second pacing schedule; and   sending to the second train, by the one or more processors, second timing data defining a second time window, the second time window defining a second EAT and a second LTA for the second train at the siding.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the one or more processors, second compliance feedback from the second train, the second compliance feedback indicating that the second train will comply with the second timing data.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the second timing data comprises a second estimated time of departure (ETD) for the second train to depart the siding. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the first timing data comprises a first estimated time of departure (ETD) for the first train to depart the siding. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein a crossing time window defines a time period under the initial movement plan for the first train to arrive at a boundary between the first territory and a second territory in the railroad network, the method further comprising:
 before generating the modified movement plan, determining, by the one or more processors, that the first train will arrive at the boundary outside the crossing time window under the modified movement plan; and   determining, by the one or more processors, that the first pacing schedule will require modification.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which are executable by one or more processors and which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
 generate an initial movement plan for trains within at least a first territory of a railroad network, the initial movement plan including a first pacing schedule for a first train and a second pacing schedule for a second train, the first train and the second train sharing a track;   calculate timing data defining a time window for movement of the first train at a siding on the track, the time window defining a first earliest arrival time (EAT) and a first latest time of arrival (LTA) for the first train at the siding;   cause the timing data to be sent to the first train;   receive compliance feedback from the first train, the compliance feedback indicating that the first train will not comply with the timing data;   at least in response to the compliance feedback, generate a modified movement plan; and   cause the first train and the second train to proceed according to the modified movement plan.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having further instructions stored thereupon to:
 before generating the modified movement plan, receive from the first train an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the first train at the siding; and   determine that the first EAT will require modification of the second pacing schedule.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having further instructions stored thereupon to:
 generate a modified second pacing schedule; and   send movement goals to the second train, the movement goals defining a second EAT and a second LTA for the second train at the siding.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having further instructions stored thereupon to:
 receive a response from the second train, the response indicating that the second train will comply with the movement goals.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the movement goals comprise a second estimated time of departure (ETD) for the second train to depart the siding. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the timing data comprises a first estimated time of departure (ETD) for the first train to depart the siding.