
About this course
Overview
A timetable is a promise about capacity, and the interesting part is what happens once it starts slipping. You cover timetabling, capacity analysis and real-time control, weighted towards recovering a service after disruption rather than planning the perfect day.
What you will be able to do
Learning outcomes
- Build a conflict-free timetable for a route
- Estimate capacity and identify bottlenecks
- Make sound traffic control prioritisation calls
- Apply a structured disruption recovery approach
- Assess trade-offs in mixed-traffic operation
What the course sets out to do
Course objectives
- Construct timetables and train paths
- Analyse line and node capacity
- Manage real-time traffic control decisions
- Handle disruption and service recovery
- Balance capacity between freight and passenger traffic
Course content
Modules
01Timetabling principles
Train paths, headways, margins, and conflict resolution in timetable design.
02Capacity analysis
Line and junction capacity, utilisation, and bottleneck identification.
03Traffic control
Real-time regulation, prioritisation, and control-centre decision making.
04Disruption management
Contingency plans, service recovery, and communication during incidents.
05Mixed-traffic operation
Reconciling freight and passenger demands on shared infrastructure.
06Performance measurement
Punctuality, delay attribution, and operational performance reporting.
Who it is for
Target audience
Traffic managers, operations supervisors, control-centre staff, and operations planners on freight and passenger railways.
Before you start
Prerequisites
Rail operations, traffic management or planning experience.