Patent ID: 7747362

Claim:
A method for computing car switching solutions in a railway switchyard containing a switch and a plurality of classification tracks, wherein a first classification track of the plurality of classification tracks holds a first train block, 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 perform determination of available space in a classification track; b) applying at the input of the data processing apparatus first data conveying information related to a pull time of the first train block, the pull time being indicative of a time at which cars of the first train block are expected to vacate the first classification track; c) determining with the data processing apparatus if space exists in the first classification track to receive cars that belong to a second train block, the data processing apparatus processing the first data to perform the determining, wherein the first and the second train blocks belong to different departure trains; d) computing with the data processing apparatus a switching solution for cars that belong to the second train block, the computing generating a switching solution directing cars of the second train block in the first classification track at the condition that the determining establishes that enough space exists in the first classification track to receive cars that belong to the second train block; and e) releasing at the output of the data processing apparatus second data conveying the switching solution.