Patent ID: 7751952
Filing Date: 2010-07-06
Classification: B61L

Abstract:
1. A method for computing car switching solutions in a railway switch yard containing a switch, a plurality of classification tracks and a reswitching track, the reswitching track defining a path allowing recirculating cars from a position downstream the switch to a position upstream the switch, said method comprising: a) providing a data processing apparatus having an input and an output, the data processing apparatus being programmed with software to compute car switching solutions and selection of car switching options; b) applying at the input of the data processing apparatus first data conveying information about a rate of arrival of cars that belong to a given train block, at the switch; c) computing with the data processing apparatus a car switching solution for one or more cars of the given train block, the car switching solution indicating a particular classification track of the plurality of classification tracks or the reswitching track in which the one or more cars are to be switched by the switch; d) the computation of the car switching solution includes a selection by the data processing apparatus of at least one car switching option among a set of car switching options, one car switching option of the set including switching the one or more cars to the classification tracks and another car switching option of the set including switching the one or more cars to the reswitching track, the data processing apparatus processing the first data to perform the selection of the car switching option; e) releasing at the output of the data processing apparatus second data conveying the computed car switching solution.