As punctuality improves and as schedules are tightened through increasing speeds, equipment turnaround times can be reduced and more cars can be available for train assignments. As system expansion takes place and new or strengthened servicing centers are brought on line, other operating efficiencies also accrue. The average number of miles per car and per locomotive will increase and downtime will drop. As the frequency of train service increases in many of the corridors, scheduling of both passenger and freight trains will be essential to maintain capacity. This will require a significant change in operating philosophy of owner railroads where passenger and freight traffic is intermingled on the same route.
Slots can remain unused if demand slackens.
It is far easier to program a train into an operating diagram and cancel it than to add a train to an already planned schedule. This practice has permitted European railroads to handle up to 80 trains per day on single-track lines and more than 200 per day on double track. Station capacity can also be increased through reliable operations and proper scheduling. For example, by improving on-time performance and reducing station dwell time, all of the trains proposed for major stations like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., can be handled without additional platform tracks. A station with four tracks for train arrivals and departures should be able to handle 30 to 40 trains per day if schedules are properly planned and maintained.