Virtual Coupling Formation Scheduling Method for Y -type Rail Transit Lines

The train Virtual Coupling technology is considered an effective system to increase the rail transit benefits. Most relevant studies focus on the control method based on a definitive coupling structure. In practice, different coupling structures will lead to various effectiveness under distinct scenarios. It may be more efficient in the scene of Y-type lines with branches and trunk bottleneck section. This study analyzed the harmony between the rail transit periodic operation characteristics or system constraints and Virtual Coupling technology. It proposed a cooperative speed and distance adjustment strategy that satisfying the virtual coupling condition. A mixed integer programming model is established to calculate the train formation structure and the corresponding scheduled time, based on the coordination process of the train coupling state. The simulation results show that the proposed method can select the proper scheduled time within the time window to form a reasonable coupling platoon according to different transportation requirements, and the system capacity can be improved by compressing the train density in a certain extent.