Integrated capacity assessment and timetabling models for dense railway networks

Mainline railways in Europe are experiencing increasing use as the worldwide demand for passenger and freight transport is growing across all transport modes. At the same time, much of the existing railway network is reaching its capacity and has become susceptible to disturbances. This thesis creates, optimizes, and evaluates railway timetables to promote more reliable, attractive and sustainable railway transport systems. In essence, we demonstrate that optimization, simulation and data analysis can be successfully applied to improving railway traffic planning and account for better infrastructure capacity use and increased level of service for passengers and freight operators.