POD Section 6
18
Operational Planning and Timetabling
Train planning sits at the hub of the industry . The outputs determine the product sold to the customer and define the commercial and operational effectiveness of the infrastructure provider as well as the train operator . You will need to know about : The nature of the railway network , how it determines the shape of the train service , and may itself be shaped by the train service requirements or franchising specifications ; Development of a train service from commercial and other demands , eg working with a finite number of trains ; processes and tools for planning the train service ; Capacity of rail networks , how it is created and the practicalities of exploiting it effectively .
How good is your knowledge ?
Complete this self-assessment to see how well you know this subject area and what you can do to improve your knowledge and experience .
Essential Knowledge & Experience Elements
How the physical assets of the railway shape the train service Elements of a new timetable and train plan including stock & crew diagramming The planning cycle and typical timescales for long-term and short-term planning
The typical considerations when introducing a new freight train into an existing timetable
The typical factors in an agreement between a train operator and an infrastructure controller for track access
Ways of balancing the conflicting needs of track access and train running
Planning for the efficient utilisation of resources to support the train plan and Trade Union input
Planning cycle for isolation on the OHL system
The factors determining route capacity and how the timetable exploits capacity efficiently
Appropriate metrics for capacity , usage and utilisation The relationship between utilisation of capacity and service performance
Specific issues in evaluating railway track and signalling proposals in terms of their operating impact
Total points
0 None
1 Basic
2 Moderate
3 Good
Add up your score using one point for Basic , two for Moderate and three for Good . Use your combined score to see suggested activities on the opposite page .
Chartered Institution of Railway Operators