Abstract:

Nowadays, teaching and learning about train scheduling is mainly carried out from a theoretical point of view in railway courses at universities and practical schools, with hand-made exercises. This is because the different specific software are designed from the point of view of railway and consulting companies, thus being too complex and expensive for these university or practical courses. Succesfully, spreadsheets offer enough calculation and graphical power to program and represent train graphs and timetables in such a more friendly and well know environment.

In this sense, the implemented tool is devoted to students of Bachelor and Master Degrees, as well as future professionals from the railway sector (e.g. train drivers, infrastructure managers, etc. needing some knowledge on train scheduling and train operations. The tool is designed in such a way that allows entering a different number of trains. Two options are considered: homogeneous train schedules (e.g. metro systems), or heterogeneous schedules (e.g. conventional mixed traffic railway lines). For this purpose, the tool allows entering train travel times between stations and time stops at stations that affect groups of trains or single trains. After all input data is entered, the tool calculates the train timetables, with arrival and departure times at each station, and the subsequent graphical schedule. Due to its nature, this tool can be implemented either in in-person o virtual courses.

Thus, the benefits for students and other potential trainees are:
- To physically comprehend and apply the theoretical concepts involving train operations & scheduling
- To design and represent train grids fulfilling a set of requirements
- To improve their skills in coming up with creative solutions for solving unexpected train delays and cope with real time headways

In such way, three cross-cutting competences highly demanded nowadays by companies, such as creativity, innovation and working under pressure can be trained.

Keywords:

Spreadsheet, active learning, post-graduate education, design thinking, railway operations.