Energy‐optimal study integrated speed trajectories, timetable and the layout of neutral sections for high‐speed railway

Abstract

Speed trajectories, timetable and the layout of neutral sections are the key elements that affect train energy consumption (EC). This paper combines the microscopic energy‐efficient train control (EETC), macroscopic energy‐efficient train timetabling (EETT) and neutral sections location planning (NSLP), to achieve minimum EC in bi‐directional high‐speed railway. An integrated model is first established based on neutral sections distribution model, timetable model and a multi‐phase model. Then, a double loop genetic algorithm (DLGA) is designed for matching the proposed model. The case studies are conducted by the proposed model and algorithm on the Wuhan‐Yueyang rail corridor. A simple case for single‐train movement in one section is primarily executed with variable neutral section location, to investigate the impact of neutral section location for train operation. The results indicate that neutral section locating at the coasting (CO) and cruising (CR) zones is the prior choice for energy conservation. Then, three integrated problems (EETC, EETC + EETT and EETC + EETT + NSLP) are carried out to obtain the energy‐optimal speed trajectories, timetable and the layout of neutral sections, showing that EETC + EETT + NSLP increases the regenerative energy recycling from 14.2% to 49.1% and achieves 9.2% energy reduction compared with EETC.