Research on scheduling optimization of trains in rail-sea intermodal coal supply chain

In the coal scheduling process of the rail-sea intermodal coal supply chain for large energy enterprises, trains are easy to accumulate in front of the port. The train dispatching efficiency is low, and coal railway transportation has weak anti-risk capabilities. In order to solve these problems, an optimization method of coal transport trains scheduling is proposed. Considering the current situation of long coal railway lines and long train scheduling cycles, a segmented optimization method is proposed to optimize train scheduling. Using the intersection of railway lines as the dividing point between the upstream and downstream of the railway, a segmented optimization model for coal transport train scheduling is constructed. The model aims to increase railway transportation efficiency and comprehensively considers constraints such as railway capacity, train operation rules, station loading and unloading capacity etc. The results of train scheduling optimization in rail-sea intermodal coal supply chain of a large power generation group in China show that: This model can effectively address railway congestion and high port inventory issues caused by uneven traffic flow. Through the scheduling optimization of trains, the congestion time of trains is effectively reduced, the accumulation of trains in front of the port is prevented, and the transportation efficiency is improved.