Building a Freight Model

Ankara November 2011

Objective

to provide a model that predicts the resources required to carry a given pattern of traffic and which is responsive to key network scoping variables

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

Steps
Assignment
Allocation to wagons

Train movements
Locomotives and drivers Wagons Yards and depots
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
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Assignment
The first step is to assign freight movements to track sections by commodity In a complex network or where there are network changes between options an assignment model may be needed
Otherwise the assignment can be hard coded
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
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Assignment
option days of operation Year of forecast Thumrayt Shuwaymiyah Duqm Ghabah Shuwaymiyah Duqm Ghabah Ibra Jn 1 1 1 217 283 108 4 5 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 138 138 260 0 0 0 21 21 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 34 51 34 Ibra Jn Muscat 1 237 7 0 0 0 0 0 260 0 21 0 0 1 34 1 146 8 0 0 0 0 0 260 0 21 0 0 1 34 Muscat Sohar 1 224 9 0 0 0 0 0 79 0 3 0 0 1 34
5

Aluminum Products Alumina Cement Ceramic tiles Chemicals Container Dolomite Energy Drinks Fuel Fruits & Vegetables Gravel & Building Stone Gypsum

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

Steps
Assignment
Allocation to wagons

Train movements
Locomotives and drivers Wagons Yards and depots
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
6

Allocation to wagons

The wagon types do not have to be comprehensive. The choice of wagon types determines the degree of interchangability, the availability for backhaul and allocation to trains

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

Allocation to wagons
option days of operation Full wagons Express container EC Container CC general purpose flat Ore ore Hopper (foodstuff) HOF Hopper (powder) HO Tank tank 2 Thumrayt Shuwaymiyah Duqm 300 Shuwaymiyah Duqm Ghabah 24 138 5 35 0 15 0 24 138 5 85 0 15 0 24 260 5 35 0 0 0 Ghabah Ibra Jn 24 260 5 35 0 0 0 Ibra Jn Muscat 24 260 5 69 0 0 0 Muscat Sohar 5 79 10 75 0 0 0

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

Steps
Assignment
Allocation to wagons

Train movements
Locomotives and drivers Wagons Yards and depots
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
9

Train movements
Wagon types are first aggregated based on whether they are available for backhaul The number of trains depends on the maximum loco load (which can vary by section) allowable train length, number of locomotives/train etc.
Wagons are allocated to specialist train types first and then to general goods
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
10

Main freight train types

Train type Bulk Commodities Ore, gravel Size Speed (km/h) (tonnes) 10,000 80

Tank wagons
Light container Heavy container General Freight

Chemicals Petroleum
Fruit and vegetables Import export Miscellaneous

4,000
1,500 8,000 8,000

80
120 100 80

Freight Train Characteristics

Description GCC network Neighbouring networks

Freight trains Maximum length (m) Maximum hauled tonnage (t) 2200 10000 700 / 3200 1700 / 21000

Maximum number of wagons

Speed-limit

100
80/120

100
50 / 120

Train movements
option days of operation Trains min freq/week Express container Container Ore Tank General Total 2 Thumrayt Shuwaymiyah Duqm 300 Shuwaymiyah Duqm Ghabah 6 6 3 3 6 0.0 1.0 0.5 0.0 1.0 2.5 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 0.0 3.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 3.5 Ghabah Ibra Jn 0.0 3.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 3.5 Ibra Jn Muscat 0.0 3.0 0.5 0.0 1.0 4.5

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

13

Steps
Assignment
Allocation to wagons

Train movements
Locomotives and drivers Wagons Yards and depots
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
14

Locomotive requirements
The actual number of locomotives required will depend on many factors including the operating timetable
We can get a good estimate by calculating the loco hours from the train requirement schedule and dividing by an average daily availability.

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

15

Locomotive requirements -2
For the Gulf railway the maximum speed on each track section was parameterised. The effective speed was then dependent on the track configuration (single vs double) and the train type
Between Kuwait and Muscat the freight locomotive availability was restricted to night-time operations

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

16

Locomotive requirements -3
Diesel Electric 27741 348 79.8 64370 818

effective speed loco utilisation per day locomotives diesel locomotives electric

0.85 15 64 0

Train Km Train hours average speed loco km loco hrs

0 0 0.0 0 0

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

17

Locomotive drivers
The precise number of drivers will depend on the award specifications, the timetable and other factors Again a reasonable approximation can be made by assuming an average number of footplate hours per worked day and an average number of days per year
After all the timetable will be designed to allow efficient use of the drivers.
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
18

Steps
Assignment
Allocation to wagons

Train movements
Locomotives and drivers Wagons Yards and depots
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
19

Wagon requirements
Wagon requirements depend on the cycle time the time it takes a wagon to make one complete circuit Actual travel time may be only a small part of the cycle time. It also depends on:
Customer loading and unloading time Schedule requirements

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

20

General freight wagon requirement

Sample calculation of general freight cycle time
General Freight Cycle Time
Origin
Salalah Sohar Sohar Sohar Sohar Sohar Sohar Sohar

Transit Time Terminal Customer Destination Commodity 2 Directions Time Time (Days) (Days) (Days)
Sohar Duqm Duqm Duqm Salalah Salalah Salalah Salalah Steel Scrap Alum Prod Steel Bars Vehicules Alum Prod Bitumen Steel Bars Vehicules 8 6 6 6 8 8 8 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Total Cycle Time (Days)

15 13 13 9 15 15 15 11

6 6 6 2 6 6 6 2

Wagon requirements

Wagon hours container

stand time 48

per day 20

moving 929

standing 851

total 1835

flat
ore hopper cement tank

72
96 96 72 96

20
20 20 20 20

207
223 4 166 127

208
340 13 358 276

427
581 18 540 416 3817

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

22

Steps
Assignment
Allocation to wagons

Train movements
Locomotives and drivers Wagons Yards and depots
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
23

Yards and depots

Obviously the number of yards and their staffing depends on the throughput But it will also depend on operational decisions that are difficult to predict in advance

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

24

Yards and depots

For the Gulf job the operations people gave me numbers that bore no relationship to traffic at all I developed some relationships that delivered similar overall numbers

For Turkey I would suggest getting figures for throughput and staff numbers at the main yards and seeing if there is a relationship
David Lupton and Associates Ltd
25

Yards and depots

shunt Train movements locos Main yards (hoppers +general) Muscat Abu Dhabi Salwa Interchange 4 10 12 10 1 1 1 1 2 6 6 6 10 16 18 16 60 shunt staff other staff

shunt Train movements locos Intermodal yards (containers) Mazyounah Salalah Duqm Muscat 0 4 1 8 0 1 0 1

shunt staff 0 2 0 4

other staff 0 10 7 14

David Lupton and Associates Ltd

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