Colloquia

Summary

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the largest railway company in the Netherlands, is currently facing significant challenges, mainly due to personnel shortages among train crews, operators, and mechanics. One of the main bottlenecks lies in the shunting processes, which involve moving empty trains between marshalling yards and the stations. Many marshalling yards in the Netherlands contain numerous manually operated switches, which must be passed and operated during the shunting process. Manually operated switches increase shunting times and can pose safety risks if not correctly operated. Therefore, improving manually operated switches can help to increase the system speed in shunting processes, increase safety, and prepare for future digitalisation in railway operations.

The research begins with a background analysis of NS, focusing on the stakeholder network, with particular attention to ProRail, given its ownership of most manual switches. Furthermore, an analysis of NS's railway control and safety operations and the current switch technology is conducted. To quantify the impact of the manual switches, all marshalling yards are analysed based on key factors such as the number of switches, movement frequency and shifts. This analysis identifies Utrecht Cartesiusweg and Nijmegen, among others, as highly impacted locations.

To explore potential solutions, market research on technologies used by other railway companies and innovations from other industries is conducted. Given the complexity of automating manual switches, this research uses a decision-making framework for automation design. Using this, the appropriate level of automation to address both current and future challenges will be determined, and potential technologies will be categorised into different automation levels, enabling a comparative analysis of critical factors, such as reliability and organisational impact, to select the most viable solutions.

A case study on Utrecht Cartesiusweg and Nijmegen provides critical insights into the impact of manual switches on operational efficiency and costs. Furthermore, the efficiency and costs of the most viable technologies are evaluated. Based on the findings, recommendations are structured across the strategic, tactical, and operational levels of operational planning. The overall recommendation states that the adoption of automatic switch technology is the most favourable solution for current and future challenges. Finally, close collaboration with ProRail is advised to clarify their plans, assess potential improvements to ongoing projects, and develop a geographical roadmap for future initiatives.