How the timetable is born. From initial studies to the daily timetable. April 2014
How the timetable is born.From initial studies to the daily timetable.
April 2014
The Swiss are world champions in rail travel: About 10,000 trains use the country’s 3,175 or so kilometres of track each day, taking over a million passengers to their destinations safely and on time. In addition, about 200,000 tonnes of freight are trans ported by SBB on its network each day. These impressive figures are unequalled anywhere in the world. Coping with these volumes on a daily basis is a major challenge. The demands placed on SBB’s timetable planners – among many others – are consequently very high. The continuous expansion of passen-ger rail services and the constantly growing demand for freight capacity mean that train paths are in increasingly short supply. To meet this rising demand, SBB Infrastructure relies on a highly sophisticated timetabling system. With their know-how and experience, it is the timetabling and product planning staff who enable this complex interplay to function.
We would like to explain here what it takes to produce a timetable with sufficient stability to enable trains to run on time. Overleaf you will find an overview of time-tabling activities at SBB Infrastructure. For further information on this topic, please see the enclosed folder.
We at SBB Infrastructure set the signals to green: we plan, build, operate and maintain Switzerland’s rail network.
SBB – We keep Switzerland moving.Travel in comfort. Get there on time.
Philippe GauderonHead of SBB InfrastructureMember of the Management Board
The art of creating a timetable – the foundation of the world’s densest rail network.
Timetabling terms and tools.
What is a train path?A train path, rather like a slot in aviation, is the entitlement for a train (of de�ned length, weight, loading gauge and speed) to use a speci�c section of the rail network at �xed times.
Symmetrical timetable.In Switzerland, symmetry is on the hour (00 minutes). The “symmetry points” at which trains pass each other are always at the same place. Transfer times and changes to other services are always the same in both directions. It is thus easy for passengers to work out their train’s departure time for the return journey. An integrated, regular inter -
boats and privately operated railways – have the same symmetrical times. This facili -tates connections in a number of di�erent directions.
Customers.Railway undertakings (RU). 40 RUs operate freight or passenger trains on the SBB network. They receive close support from ten customer advisors – the �rst port of call for the RUs at SBB Infrastruc -ture. Cantons.It is the cantons that commission regional rail or suburban/urban rapid transit services.
Key Account Managers (KAM) at SBB Infrastructure.
Timetable design, and the tools used.The annual timetable is planned in accordance with the regulatory framework sti p-ulated by the Federal O�ce of Transport (FOT). The timetable planners observe the following hierarchy: �rst, they timetable the long-distance and transit freight trains.
delivery network for wagonload freight services. And �nally the regional services, i. The various electronic tools used in the process include route diagrams, track oc -cupancy diagrams, network graphics and the NeTS planning tool (stands for Netz -weites Trassen System – or “network-wide train path system”).
Timetable analysis tools.Before being taken into service, a timetable is thoroughly checked for stability risks.
are used to identify and deal with any weaknesses in advance. After the introduction
check its stability. Only in this way is it possible to add to or improve the dense time -table.
Train-path ordering process.The railway undertakings want to have equal access to the Swiss rail network. Trasse Schweiz AG (Swiss Train Paths Ltd) ensures that the planning, allocation and optimisation of this track access (i.e. train paths) is performed impartially.
Official timetable, online timetable and app.The completed annual timetable supplies the data for approximately 60 different pro d-ucts or systems. The traditional printed timetable is one of these, while others include the new electronic media such as the online timetable and the mobile timetable ap-plication (app) available for smartphones. Within SBB, the data are fed into numerous production systems.
Special trains.About 500 special trains are scheduled each year for major events (such as the national Swiss wrestling tournament, the football cup final or Circus Knie performances) as well as for large shipments of sugarbeet or works trains.
The people.About 120 timetable planners in Lausanne, Berne, Zurich and Lucerne are responsible for drawing up timetables covering various planning horizons. Their challenge is the daily balancing act between capacity and stability. The most heavily used section of route, between Rupperswil and Lenzburg, carries 550 trains per day.
The planning process involves:• 3,175 route kilometres (SBB/Sensetalbahn/Thurbo/ZB)• 2,383 operating points• 40 railway undertakings (RU) requesting train paths• 583 power units• 15,000 train-path orders• 170 m train-path km sold• 8,153 passenger trains and 1,854 freight trains per day• 11,000 scheduled track closures, and
1,300 speed restrictions per year across the SBB network.
The timetable.Here are some facts and figures about the timetable.
Swiss Federal Railways SBB Communications InfrastructureBrückfeldstrasse 16 CH-3000 Berne 65
www.sbb.ch
.00 S3 Biel.00 Biel.00 S3 Biel
BSBSNO
MUMUOS
PRWPRUW
PRFRE
LSTNLST
LSNIT
SISGKD
TKHBTN
HBTSOLTU
OLNOL
16:10
16:20
16:30
16:40
16:50
17:00
17:10
17:20
17:30
17:40
17:50
18:00
16:00
S51033 17
36769L 135
41665 269*
41665 269*
17269 17 65237 15*
65237 15*
62174 15
17365 17*
17069 15
2472 17
9215 1736570L 23*
S52122 169
578 17
17260 17
17367 17*
17367 17*
207 17
43680 259*
17366 17*
17366 17*
979 17
17360 17*
28572 15
2182 17
1980 17
41083 269*
36767L 15
48600 349*
43621 149*
17075 15
1081 1717158 17
1785 17
S52072 17
79921 17
87848 169*
670 17
48641 339*
S51235 17*
687 17
40221 259*
17265 17
2078 17
50274 15
87844 169*
376 17
17356 17*
S51176 17S51185 17*
580 17*
S52133 17
46676 339*
1981 17*
5338 159*
17359 17*
17167 17
87845 169*
S52183 17
1078 17
17357 17*
17256 17
1787 17
780 17
272 159*
17061 15
87843 17
870 17
1778 17
S51030 17*
S51030 17*
981 17
60260 25
585 17
5336 159*
40101 259*
982 17
43662 259*
43662 259*
S52033 169*
17358 17
2475 17
57440U 15
87847 17
S52124 279
2080 17
9226 759*
43711 269*
5341 159*
1080 17
S51037 17
17161 17
S51276 17
99420L 17
17364 17
S52070 17
57441L 15
S51174 17*
S51085 17*
S52022 17*
49156 259*
66825F 349
87849 169*
43670 259*
502 759*
59 17
581 17
87850 17
S51028 17
1783 17*
75 17
2473 17
9230 17
9230 17
17065 15
41515 15*
2474 17
1978 17
1985 17*
17066 15
40329 269*
17164 17
2085 17
S51178 17*
S51178 17*
36771L 15*
2181 17
S52174 17
17361 17*
S51026 17*
43617 759*
5343 159*
101 17
277 17
277 17
S51133 17
S52235 718* 1780 17
S52024 17*
57570 15
1782 17
66432 33
2087 17
S51187 17
S51187 17
87846 17
S51033 17
36769L 135
41665 269*
41665 269*
17269 17 65237 15*
65237 15*
62174 15
17365 17*
17069 15
2472 17
9215 1736570L 23*
S52122 169
578 17
17260 17
17367 17*
17367 17*
207 17
43680 259*
17366 17*
17366 17*
979 17
17360 17*
28572 15
2182 17
1980 17
41083 269*
36767L 15
48600 349*
43621 149*
17075 15
1081 1717158 17
1785 17
S52072 17
79921 17
87848 169*
670 17
48641 339*
S51235 17*
687 17
40221 259*
17265 17
2078 17
50274 15
87844 169*
376 17
17356 17*
S51176 17S51185 17*
580 17*
S52133 17
46676 339*
1981 17*
5338 159*
17359 17*
17167 17
87845 169*
S52183 17
1078 17
17357 17*
17256 17
1787 17
780 17
272 159*
17061 15
87843 17
870 17
1778 17
S51030 17*
S51030 17*
981 17
60260 25
585 17
5336 159*
40101 259*
982 17
43662 259*
43662 259*
S52033 169*
17358 17
2475 17
57440U 15
87847 17
S52124 279
2080 17
9226 759*
43711 269*
5341 159*
1080 17
S51037 17
17161 17
S51276 17
99420L 17
17364 17
S52070 17
57441L 15
S51174 17*
S51085 17*
S52022 17*
49156 259*
66825F 349
87849 169*
43670 259*
502 759*
59 17
581 17
87850 17
S51028 17
1783 17*
75 17
2473 17
9230 17
9230 17
17065 15
41515 15*
2474 17
1978 17
1985 17*
17066 15
40329 269*
17164 17
2085 17
S51178 17*
S51178 17*
36771L 15*
2181 17
S52174 17
17361 17*
S51026 17*
43617 759*
5343 159*
101 17
277 17
277 17
S51133 17
S52235 718* 1780 17
S52024 17*
57570 15
1782 17
66432 33
2087 17
S51187 17
S51187 17
87846 17
52’ Travel time in minutes (as at 2012)
St. Gallen
Winterthur
Schaffhausen
Olten
BellinzonaVisp
Luzern
Genève
ChurBern
Lausanne
Biel/Bienne
Basel SBB
Zürich HB
55’
70’
60’
53’
19’39’
33’
58’
87’66’
64’
57’
45’
65’
74’
134’125’
92’
56’
Infrastructure
Financing Stations, Real Estate
Rolling stock
Services
Timetable
GenèveGenèveGenève
OOL
S51185 17*
S51185 17*
S51185 17*
17357 17*17357 17*17357 17*
S51133 17
S51133 17
S51133 17
S51185 17*
S51185 17*
S51185 17*
How your timetable is born.
Demand forecasts determine the services offered. The offering and the timetable determine the functional requirements in terms of infrastructure and rolling stock. The necessary finance is then sought, as availability of funds ultimately determines the timing of implementation.
Berne station: every hour, long-distance trains arrive in Berne at 47 minutes past the hour and leave again on the hour (minute .00).
Timetable planning in five dimensions
Travel times between the defined hubs (or nodes) is under one hour. Trains from all directions converge on the nodes before the full hour and depart from them just after the full hour. This results in short transfer times and good connections for passengers.
The hub concept
1. Undertake timetable study With the demand for travel rising, rail infrastructure has to be constantly expanded. SBB Infrastructure receives mandates from the federal and cantonal governments to undertake a timetable study and deliver a cost-benefit forecast. To this end, the timetable planners draw up a plan featuring different planning timescales. Timetable and operational simulations are used to define the requisite infrastructure upgrades.
2. Develop future rail service offering A number of detailed discussions are held between the federal transport ministry (FOT), the cantons and the rail companies (RUs) on the one and SBB Infrastructure on the other hand to define the target timetable, the corresponding infrastructure expansions/up-grades, the rolling stock requirements and the sources from which the necessary funding will be obtained. The ultimate goal is always a solution with the best cost-benefit ratio. A dispatch (message) containing the necessary financing plans is then transmitted to the Federal Parliament. This iteration step creates a picture of the future timetable and the associated financing requirements.
3. Draw up medium-term timetable Once the financing issue has been resolved and the necessary upgrades are under way, planning and computer simulation work for the medium-term timetable and the associated infrastructure requirements commences. Time windows for the necessary maintenance and renewal work are worked into the timetable. The timetable studies are put into a more concrete form and detailed concepts drawn up.
4. Perform supply iterationsThe RUs operating in the passenger and freight sectors meet with SBB Infrastructure and the FOT to agree on the specifics: rolling stock deployment is defined, schedules drawn up for commissioning new installations, construction sites for maintenance and renewal work coordinated, and the timetable fixed.
5. Prepare the annual timetable Two years before implementation, the timetable planners start planning the annual timetable accurately and over a 24-hour timescale. The defined supply concepts are taken over into the annual timetable. A “train path catalogue” is issued for freight services. Now the actual ordering of train paths by RUs can begin.
6. Hold customer workshopSBB Infrastructure’s customers – passenger and freight RUs – meet up at a timetable workshop. Offering concepts are coordinated and put into a concrete form. At this point, requests for short-term changes are checked for feasibility and integrated into the ongoing planning process.
7. Launch ordering processTo ensure non-discriminatory access to the rail network for all RUs, the latter submit their train-path requests to the independent body Swiss Train Paths Ltd. As far as feasible, train paths are allocated provisionally. The RU now has the opportunity to evaluate which paths it definitely wants to order. To this end, it confers with its customers. In the freight segment, these may include container shippers. In regional services, it is the cantons that order timetable availability. If two RUs request the same path, Swiss Train Paths Ltd is respon-sible for allocating it. If no agreement can be reached, a bidding process is launched.
8. Conclude annual timetable and implement timetable change Detailed planning of the timetable has been completed, so it can be passed on to the SBB’s operational units. The service offering is published in the online timetable and the official (printed) timetable.
9. Generate daily timetable The last remaining gaps in the current timetable are filled with special trains for events (such as the national Swiss wrestling tournament, transport of sugar beet or a tour by Circus Knie), with works trains (e.g. for engineering works or measuring runs) or with international special trains. The timetable’s stability is monitored continuously. Opportunities for improvements are identified and implemented in the next timetable.
This extract from the timetable diagram for the Basel SBB–Olten section shows the high density of services on the SBB network. Each line on the time-and-path line diagram represents a train.
Timetable diagram
Timetable preparation at SBB Infrastructure
Annual timetable8 years 2 years 2-1 years
Horizon
20 years before implementation
Plan
ning
acc
urac
y
ConceptPhase Detailed concept ImplementationImplementation
Online timetable
Medium-term timetable drawn up
Ordering process launched
Annual timetable finalised
Timetable study undertaken
IR Luzern–Zofingen .00
IC Romanshorn–Zürich .58
IC/ICE (DB-) Basel–Olten .56
IR Genève–Aéroport .56
IC Brig .54
IR Olten .53
IC/ICE Interlaken Ost .52
RE Bulle .51
RE Biel/Bienne .47
RE Biel/Bienne .43
IR Burgdorf–Zürich .39
.00 IR Zofingen–Luzern
.02 IC Zürich–Romanshorn
.04 IC/ICE Olten–Basel (-DB)
.04 IR Genève–Aéroport
.04 IC Interlaken
.07 IC Brig
.09 RE Bulle
.07 IR Olten
.13 RE Biel/Bienne
.17 RE Biel/Bienne
.21 IR Zürich–Burgdorf
.23 EC Interlaken/Milano–Brig
.25 IR Zürich–Brugg–Olten
Situation in 2012
121015_Fahrplanerstellung_E_2.Auflage.pdf 1 16.10.12 09:31