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AH2036 Railway Planning and Operations 7,5 hp

Course memo Spring 2025-60613

Version 1 – 01/13/2025, 4:56:58 PM

Course offering

Spring 2025-60613 (Start date 14 Jan 2025, English)

Language Of Instruction

English

Offered By

ABE/Transport Planning

Course memo Spring 2025

Headings denoted with an asterisk ( * ) is retrieved from the course syllabus version Autumn 2024

Content and learning outcomes

Course contents

The course includes strategic, tactical and operational planning in the following five fields:

The railway system

  • Infrastructure planning and the national transport plan
  • The structure of the infrastructure and maintenance of railway
  • The environmental impact of the railway
  • Risk Management and accident risks

Passenger traffic

  • Vehicles for passenger traffic
  • Supply and demand in passenger traffic
  •  Cycle planning of vehicles

Freight

  • Vehicles for freight
  • Supply and demand in freight traffic
  • Train formation and marshalling

Capacity and punctuality

  • Capacity assignment and capacity calculations
  • Timetable planning
  • Punctuality and disturbances

Traffic control

  • Signal and safety systems
  • Traffic management

Intended learning outcomes

The course is intended to give the students general knowledge about the railway system and the train traffic and its planning in both strategic and tactical and operational time horizons.

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to: 

  • Understand the structure and function of the railway system
  • Be able to design a schedule and analyse capacity utilization and robustness
  • Have knowledge of the different preconditions of passenger traffic or freight and be able to include demand and economic analysis in planning of traffic systems

Learning activities

The course consists of lectures, seminars and study visits, along with exercises and a project. A written exam takes place at the end of the course. 

Detailed plan

Attendance and active participation is compulsory for two of the exercises and at the project presentation seminar.

Important dates and deadlines

Deadlines for mandatory project and exercise submissions, mandatory attendance, and the written exam are found in the following table. Study visits (not mandatory but highly recommended) are also included.

What How When Note
Exercise: Capacity calculation
Friday 24 Jan.
Mandatory submission on Canvas Deadline: Friday 31 Jan. at 19:00  
Exercise: Timetable construction
Wednesday 29 Jan.
Mandatory submission on Canvas Deadline: Wednesday 5 Feb. at 19:00  
Exercise: Train path allocation
Friday 31 Jan.
Mandatory attendance and participation Taking place: Friday 31 Jan. at 08:15-12:00 Bring a laptop with Matlab installed.

Catch-up session scheduled if needed.
Exercise: Demand modelling
Wednesday 5 Feb.
Mandatory submission on Canvas Deadline: Wednesday 12 Feb. at 19:00  
Exercise: Procurement
Friday 7 Feb.
Mandatory attendance and participation Taking place: Friday 7 Feb. at 08:15-12:00 Catch-up session scheduled if needed.
Project: Review of the first report version Mandatory peer review of two reports Deadline for sending your report to review: Thursday 6 February at 19:00

Deadline for returning your two reviews: Monday 10 February at 19:00
 
Project: Presentation seminar Mandatory attendance and participation Taking place: Wednesday 12 Feb. at 13:15-17:00 Catch-up session scheduled if needed.
Study visit: Hagalund Highly recommended Taking place: Friday 14 Feb. in the morning  
Project: Submit the final report Mandatory submission on Canvas Deadline: Monday 17 Feb at 19:00  
Study visit: Årsta Highly recommended Taking place: Wednesday 19 Feb. in the afternoon  
Exercise: Freight
Friday 21 Feb.
Mandatory submission on Canvas Deadline: Friday 28 Feb. at 19:00  
Study visit: Sweco Highly recommended Taking place: Wednesday 26 Feb. in the afternoon  
Written exam Mandatory Taking place: Wednesday 12 March at 8:00-13:00 Re-exam Tuesday 3 June at 8:00-13:00.

Preparations before course start

Literature

Course compendium, lecture notes and other handouts available on Canvas.

Harris, N.G., Haugland, H., Olsson, N., Veiseth, M. (2016). An Introduction to Railway Operations Planning.

Equipment

A laptop is needed for at least one exercise.

Software

One of the exercises requires you to have Matlab and MS Excel (or equivalent spreadsheet software) installed on your laptop.

Examination and completion

Grading scale

A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Examination

  • PRO1 - Project assignment, 1.5 credits, Grading scale: P, F
  • TEN1 - Written exam, 4.5 credits, Grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
  • ÖVN1 - Exercises, 1.5 credits, Grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

The section below is not retrieved from the course syllabus:

PRO1 - Project assignment, 1.5 credits

For pass (P), the project must have been presented at a project seminar and the individually submitted final report must have been graded with pass. In case of late report submission (after the specified deadline), the submission may not be corrected until after the end of the course. The course's ethical approach is applicable.

TEN1 - Written exam, 4.5 credits

A calculator is allowed on the exam.

ÖVN1 - Exercises, 1.5 credits

For pass (P), all the six mandatory exercises must have been graded with pass. Two of the exercises require attendance and active participation, and four of the exercises require individually submitted assignments. In case of late submission (after the specified deadline), the submission may not be corrected until after the end of the course. The course's ethical approach is applicable.

Other requirements for final grade

For final grade, attendance at compulsory course elements is required

Grading criteria/assessment criteria

The grade is assigned based on how well the student has reached the three intended learning outcomes, which are examined across the course modules.

Intended learning outcome Examination

Understand the structure and function of the railway system

Written exam
Exercises

Be able to design a schedule and analyse capacity utilization and robustness

Project assignment
Written exam
Exercises: Capacity calculation, Timetable construction, Train path allocation

Have knowledge of the different preconditions of passenger traffic or freight and be able to include demand and economic analysis in planning of traffic systems

Project assignment
Written exam
Exercises: Demand modelling, Freight

Assignment of grades

The score obtained on the written exam (TEN1) is calculated as a percentage of the total exam score. The exam grade is assigned according to the following table.

TEN1 grade assignment
TEN1 result [%] 0-44 45-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90-100
Grade F Fx E D C B A

The grade on the written exam (TEN1) determines the final grade of the course, provided that the project (PRO1) and the exercises (ÖVN1) have passing grades.

Opportunity to complete the requirements via supplementary examination

In the case of grade Fx, a supplementary examination is required within 15 working days from the grade Fx being reported in Ladok. If the student passes the supplementary examination they receive the grade E. Otherwise the grade is F. The examiner contacts the student to initiate the supplementary examination.

Opportunity to raise an approved grade via renewed examination

An approved grade can be raised by re-taking the written exam.

Alternatives to missed activities or tasks

Attendance and active participation are compulsory in two of the exercises, the presentation seminar for the project, and the written exam.

In case of absence from a mandatory exercise, a make-up session is scheduled.

In case of absence from the project presentation seminar, a make-up seminar is scheduled.

In case of absence from the written examination, the student is referred to the re-exam in June.

Reporting of exam results

The grade is reported in Ladok.

Ethical approach

  • All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
  • In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
  • In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

The section below is not retrieved from the course syllabus:

Course policy for generative AI

It is not allowed in this course to use generative AI to produce or revise text. Standard spelling and grammar checkers, such as the built-in functionality in MS Word and comparable word processors, are allowed. If you are unsure whether a tool is allowed or not, ask the course coordinator.

Further information

Changes of the course before this course offering

The course is new and given for the first time in P3 2025.

Round Facts

Start date

14 Jan 2025

Course offering

  • Spring 2025-60613

Language Of Instruction

English

Offered By

ABE/Transport Planning

Contacts

Communication during course

Communication during the course is mainly handled through Canvas. On Canvas you can communicate with course teachers and other students participating in the course, access course information and material, submit assignments and receive feedback on reviewed submissions.

For general questions about the course, schedule, etc., contact the course coordinator.

For questions on the content of a specific lecture, exercise, etc., contact the responsible teacher.

Course Coordinator

Teachers

Examiner