Energy performance in railway services: a calculation methodology and the influence of operation parameters

This study proposes a methodology for assessing the energy performance of railway service based on a micro-simulation of how trains run. In particular, the analysis focuses on the influence on energy consumption of three parameters, namely: line speed, stops frequency and timetable period. The performance assessment methodology aims to monitor the trend of two output variables: motion technique efficiency and specific consumption of the trains. The study has been developed on two levels. The first analysis concerns the assessing of the run of a single train; subsequently a timetable-based analysis is performed for a specific time window. At this level, it is also possible to consider the effects of regenerative braking on the entire consumption. This part of the article reports the results of run simulations and the related energy consumption of a regional train on a theoretical line, subsequently extending assessments to the timetable level. The second part describes the results of simulations of a run of the same train on a real line, as well as an analysis of the energy performance of a current timetable.