Tracsis Bellvedi’s ATTUne4C Delivers New Tools for More Responsive Train Planning

Relevant RTS critical priority(ies):
Data driven; Optimised train operations

Very Short Term Planning covers the need to change one or more train services at very short notice, perhaps on the day in question or over the next 48 hours. This is largely a manual process that is complex and time-consuming. However, new technological solutions are presenting opportunities that that will lay the foundations for more flexible and dynamic timetables, where available capacity can be adjusted to meet changes in demand, which is clearly important in a post-pandemic environment.

New ATTUne product functionality, developed with funding from RSSB’s Dynamic Train Planning innovation competition, was launched at ATTune Expo in June 2023. ATTUne can now deliver path searching, to help automatically identify and validate potential paths for Very Short Term Planning (VSTP), before they are passed to Network Rail control teams. The solution, which is fully integrated with the timetable and resourcing planning software, has the potential to free up spare capacity on the network and allow services to be routed around possessions.

The software also enables the automatic initiation of contingency plans, which can be tailored to different operational scenarios. With the ability to factor in the duration of line closures, residual capacity, and service impact, this has the potential to transform industry’s approach to managing disruption and mitigating its impact on services and passengers.

The Assisted VSTP innovation project was led by Tracsis Bellvedi, with support from Southeastern, Great Western Railway, Rail Operations Group and Network Rail Southern Region & Western Route, University of Leeds Institute for Transport, and University of Southampton.