A new simulation method and its application to knowledge-based systems for railway scheduling

A simulation method is proposed to emulate human experts´ simulating processes of train movements on a computer. Computer simulation is one of the possible tools applicable for design, planning, scheduling, and control of rail and transit systems. Although conventional simulation has been successfully applied to systems design and facility planning, scheduling, and online rescheduling still depend heavily on flexible simulation and the intelligent decision-making abilities of experts. The simulation method consists of three major components: partial simulation, basic command, and strategic knowledge. Since the method can be integrated with the intelligent scheduling abilities of experts, two knowledge-based systems are developed using it: DIAPLAN and ESTRAC-III. Through the experience of applying both systems to large and complicated rail and transit systems operated in the real world, it was confirmed that the method can successfully emulate experts´ simulating processes