Using a multi-agent approach to optimise the train coupling and sharing system

This paper discusses a multi-agent scheduling system using the example of the railway transport system train coupling and sharing (TCS). The scheduling system includes the planning of travel units and the optimisation of solutions. The planning process is implemented as an incremental anytime algorithm that is capable of integrating new task specifications into the ongoing planning process. The initial solution is then optimised by a simulated trading approach. Furthermore, the multi-agent approach is tested on a practical example. The operational parameters and boundaries of the TCS-system are changed to get a comparable rail operation schedule.