Simulation-based Optimization of Railway Seat Capacity Allocation Considering Passengers’ Seat Selection
Journal : Korean Journal of Logistics
Title : Simulation-based Optimization of Railway Seat Capacity Allocation Considering Passengers’ Seat Selection
Authors : Jihyeon Ryu, Gwangheon Lee, and Soondo Hong
Abstract : This study addresses the problem of determining origin-destination (OD) seat capacities for a train under limited seat capacity. In railway reservation systems where passengers select seats sequentially, some allocated OD seat capacity may remain unused due to the order of reservations and seat choices. To address this issue, this study proposes a simulation-based optimization procedure for railway seat capacity allocation considering passengers’ seat selection. The proposed procedure uses the MIP solution as an initial allocation and applies a genetic algorithm to improve OD-level seat capacities. Candidate allocations generated by the genetic algorithm are evaluated through a discrete-event simulation that reflects the reservation process and passengers’ seat choices. Experiments were conducted on a one-way high-speed railway line with ten stations and forty-five OD pairs. The results show that the theoretical utilization of the MIP solution differs from the simulation-based utilization when passengers’ seat choices are considered. The proposed optimization procedure improves seat utilization compared with directly applying the MIP solution. These results suggest that railway seat capacity allocation should consider the dynamic reservation process caused by passengers’ seat selection.
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