Stabilized column generation for highly degenerate multiple-depot vehicle scheduling problems

Column generation has proven to be efficient in solving the linear programming relaxation of large scale instances of the multiple-depot vehicle scheduling problem (MDVSP). However difficulties arise when the instances are highly degenerate. Recent research has been devoted to accelerate column generation while remaining within the linear programming framework. This paper presents an efficient approach to solve the linear relaxation of the MDVSP. It combines column generation, preprocessing variable fixing, and stabilization. The outcome shows the great potential of such an approach for degenerate instances.