Algorithmic Support for Disruption Management at Netherlands Railways

In the Netherlands, relatively large disruptions occur on average about three times per day, each time leading to a temporary and local unavailability of the railway system. Faster response times and better solutions can be expected by the application of algorithmic support in the disruption management process. That is, the modified timetable, rolling stock circulation, and crew duties are generated automatically based on appropriate mathematical models and algorithms for solving these models. In this paper, we present such models and algorithms that were developed at Erasmus University Rotterdam and are being implemented at Netherlands Railways. Finally, we discuss challenges for research and implementation in practice.