Input format

This module takes several parameters to find a path:

  • A graph describing the physical infrastructure
  • Unavailable sections in time intervals
  • Origin and destination point(s)
  • Departure time interval
  • Maximum run time
  • Simulation parameters (rolling stock, time step, allowances, …)

Among those, the first 3 require more explanations.

Infrastructure graph

Today, the input graph is the SignalingRoutes graph. But it can be any graph that represents the physical infrastructures and the paths that can be used.

The only constraints are: the edges must have a length, and it must be possible to compute running time on parts of an edge.

Unavailable sections

This input encodes the areas that are unavailable because of capacity constraints.

Every edge has a set of “occupancy block”. A block is made of these elements:

  • Start offset
  • End offset
  • Start time
  • End time

Offsets are relative to the start of the edge. Each block means that the head of the train cannot be located in the edge segment during the given interval.

These blocks include the grid margin. If the solution needs to have an x seconds margin before the train passage, every block ends x seconds later.

To give an example, with the following schedule, a 42m long train, and 10m sight distance:

Unavailable section example

  • The occupancy of the block 1 from t=0 to t=300 makes it unavailable in its entirety during this time
  • The last 10 meters of block 1 are unavailable from t=300 to t=360, because the signal at the start of block 2 must be green when the conductor sees it. It is possible to consider that this unavailability block starts at t=130 (when the next signal isn’t green), as blocks can overlap.
  • The occupancy of block 2 from t=130 to t=360 makes it unavailable during this time. It is also unavailable from t=0, as the presence of a train in this block would cause a warning on block 1.
  • The first 42 meters of block 3 are unavailable from t=0 to t=360, because the tail of the train must have left the block 2 at this time.
  • The rest of block 3 is unavailable in its entirety from t=280 to t=360