How to Assess the Operation of Terminal Stations: Integration of Morphological Analysis and Simulation

The paper illustrates an integrated methodology for the evaluation of complex railway nodes, with particular attention to terminal stations. We start from the complexity introduced in the management of trains and routes due to the long dwell times required for reversing manoeuvres in this type of station. The research introduces an integrated methodology to evaluate the operational methods of stations and their best management. The analysis is based on methodological steps corresponding to partial subproblems and their sequential fusion represents integration. The logical scheme involves: i) the topological reconstruction of the station starting from the lines interconnected with it ii) the evaluation of the circulation capacity of the solutions found.