The Problem of Train Scheduling in the Context of the Load on the Power Supply Infrastructure. A Case Study

This article deals with the new challenges facing modernising railways in Poland. We look at the problem of the efficiency of the power supply system (3 kV DC) used in the context of the increasing use of electric vehicles, which have a higher demand for electricity than the old type. We present and characterise the power supply system in use, pointing out its weaknesses. We consider a case study. The load of the power supply network generated by the rolling stock used in Poland was examined using a microsimulation. A real train timetable was taken into account on a fragment of one of the most important railway line sections in one of the urban agglomerations. Then the results were compared with the results of a microsimulation in which old units were replaced by new trains. These tests were carried out in several variants. We found critical points in the scheduling of railway system use. Our results indicate that it is becoming increasingly necessary to take into account the permissible load capacity of the supply network in certain traffic situations in the process of timetable construction.