Non-periodic Subway Scheduling that Minimizes Operational Cost and Passenger Waiting Time

• Published in: 韓國컴퓨터情報學會論文誌 Vol. 23; no. 8; pp. 133 - 142
• Main Authors: Hong, YunWoo, Chung, Yerim, Min, YunHong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Subway Scheduling; Transfer Passenger; Genetic Algorithm; Timetabling; Metro Operating Cost; Optimization
• ISSN: 1598-849X; 2383-9945

Subway metro scheduling is one of the most important problems impacting passenger convenience today. To operate efficiently, the Seoul metro uses regular, periodic schedules for all lanes, both north and southbound. However, many past studies suggest that non-periodic scheduling would better optimize costs. Since the Seoul metro is continuously facing a deficit, adopting a non-periodic schedule may be necessary. Two objectives are presented; the first, to minimize the average passengers' waiting time, and the second, to minimize total costs, the sum of the passenger waiting time, and the operational costs. In this paper, we use passenger smart card data and a precise estimation of transfer times. To find the optimal time-table, a genetic algorithm is used to find the best solution for both objectives. Using Python 3.5 for the analysis, for the first objective, we are able to reduce the average waiting time, even when there are fewer trains. For the second objective, we are able to save about 4.5 thousand USD with six fewer trains.