Train formation plan: definition, main indicators and essence

Railway communication implies a clear timetable for trains. In particular, the creation of a train formation plan. We will consider the definition of this term. As well as the main indicators of such plans, their essence and features.

Definition

The train formation plan is a single technological process for the activities of all stations of the railway network. He also simultaneously acts as a distribution scheme for sorting work between them.

The plan for the formation of trains establishes the purpose and type of groups of cars, trains formed by stations. In particular, it indicates the following (for each station):

1. Categories of sent compositions.
2. Stations of their disbandment.
3. The purpose of each of the included cars.
4. The genus of each of the rolling stock.

Purpose of compilation

The train formation plan is aimed at reducing the costs of railway companies associated with the following:

1. The supply of cars to loading points.
2. Processing time, downtime of cars at the stations.
3. Technical and cargo operations.
4. Promotion of railway cars in certain areas.
5. Maintenance of technical infrastructure and staff.

By applying the methods for calculating the train formation plan, goals are also achieved to increase the income of the railway company due to the following:

1. Decrease in penalties for untimely delivery of goods, goods by rail.
2. Exclusion of failure to deliver empty wagons.
3. Reducing the number of fines for unsaved transportation.

The situation in the Russian Federation

As for the plans for the formation and schedules of trains on the Russian railways, it must be borne in mind that 85 out of the whole set of stations are the most important. What does it mean? According to the schemes for the formation of trains, they are part of the network. That is, goods are received, loaded and sent to various Russian and foreign points here.

Wagons here must be prepared for departure, delivered to the required point on time. They must be included in trains according to a specific system. It, in turn, ensures a stable position of the railway in the general market of transport services, high financial results from rail transportation. All this can be achieved by the correct distribution of sorting work between stations.

Methods

The plan for the formation of freight trains provides for the inclusion of cars in rolling stock in two ways:

1. By appointment. That is, following to the same station of disbanding or unloading.
2. By the nature of the rolling stock being formed.

The assignment of specific values ​​to the formed trains is called the specialization of trains.

Varieties

Consider the most common such specializations in the framework of the plan for the formation of freight trains of Russian Railways.

Under the terms, freight trains will be divided into:

1. Sending routes (they are organized directly from the place of loading). At least one station must be exempted from processing included in the wagons.
2. Technical routes. These are the trains that are already being formed without the participation of the shipper.

Shipping routes

In turn, the shipping routes for the purpose of the wagons will be divided into the following subcategories:

1. Direct. They are formed from wagons by appointment to a single unloading station, as well as at the address of one recipient for a specific access road.
2. Destination at the station of one unloading section (wagons are selected precisely at destination stations).
3. Appointments to so-called spray stations.
4. Assignment to such spraying stations, where carriages are re-routed to consignees, unloading stations within the service areas of these stations.
5. Appointment to distribution or entrance railway stations, where only fuel loads are received.

According to the terms of treatment, the following routes can be additionally distinguished:

1. Ring. There are permanent trains, which, after unloading, are returned to the initial station or railway branch for reloading.
2. Technological. They will apply according to the established schedule between enterprises, organizations - addressees and addressees of goods, accompanied by technological processes that require rhythmic delivery.

Technical Routes

The train formation plan also includes the need to follow technical routes (created without the participation of the shipper). Here the compositions will be divided into subcategories:

1. Cross-cutting. They follow without processing through one or several railway stations at once.
2. Precinct. Follow one section without reforming.
3. National teams. Designed for the collection and distribution of cars at the stations of a particular section.

The following trains run as part of technological routes:

1. Zone teams. Work at once at several intermediate stations relating to one site.
2. Elongated. Accordingly, they work at intermediate stations of two adjacent railway sections.
3. Precast. Such trains follow several sections, operate at intermediate stations of one section and follow transit through other sections.
4. Exported. They follow from the precinct or marshalling yard to a separate cargo or intermediate station of another adjacent section.
5. Gear. Ply between stations included in one node. Served by a special fleet of transmission locomotives.
6. The so-called dispatch locomotives. They are selected for minor unloading / loading at intermediate railway stations. Often act as an addition to prefabricated trains.

According to the number of carriage groups, the trains are formed:

1. Single group. To the only destination station.
2. Group Two or more carriage groups are included at various destination stations.

Also, the compositions here are divided into:

1. Loaded.
2. Empty.
3. Combined (there are empty and loaded wagons).

Adjustment, scheme change

The calculation of the train formation plan sometimes needs to be adjusted. Changes are made depending on the operational work of individual sections of tracks, the daily formation of car flows on them. Correction of the plan is addressed only if it does not slow down the general movement of trains on the railway.

Changes are made out by the corresponding dispatch orders certified by signatures of responsible persons. As for the permissible variations of such operational adjustments to parts of the plans for the formation of freight trains, they are established for each of the destinations and are indicated in the road books of similar schemes.

With regard to operational changes already at interstate crossing points (they are respectively assigned by interstate minibuses), we can say that they are implemented only in the following cases:

1. Natural disasters.
2. Violation of traffic safety of trains.
3. Requests of individual consignees and consignors for individual deliveries - wagons, wagon groups or shipping routes.

In this case, the adjustment of the plan is carried out by the Directorate of the Railway Transport Council with the obligatory coordination with the railway organizations involved in the matter.

Individual cases

At the beginning of the article, we have already figured out what the plan for the formation of trains includes. Now reflect the important features of its compilation.

Train trains from empty wagons are formed by separate routes according to the nature of such a train. They can also be included in the number of combined trains along with loaded wagons. Formed at the stations indicated in this plan.

As for the stations, where it is not provided for the formation of the routes of trains represented only by empty cars, they are included in freight trains according to the regulatory task established by the formation plan.

According to the nature of transportation and range, accelerated trains can be formed, characterized by increased route speed. In particular, these are the following categories:

1. The trains carrying perishable goods in refrigerated wagons.
2. Compositions delivering livestock, fruits and vegetables in covered special wagons, dairy products in containers, etc.

For the above trains, departure and admission are carried out according to special schedules.

Both empty and loaded trains, comprising 28-30 isothermal cars, on the entire route should not be replenished with other cars. They are also not taken into account among incomplete or non-equilibrium ones.

Separate autonomous wagons, refrigerated sections, tank cars and thermos cars, both empty and loaded, as well as covered special wagons with perishable goods, follow technical routes within the established procedure for the direction of freight railway flows, as well as the train formation plan.

As for the mass transportation of animals, it is carried out only in specially designed cars for this purpose, strictly according to the established schedule of movement of accelerated trains. It is assumed that certain groups of such trains depart according to specific formation plans, taking into account the location of the watering hole.

If oversized cargo is transported, it should be borne in mind that routes for lateral and lower oversized goods of the fourth, fifth, sixth degree in most cases do not coincide with the existing plans for the formation of trains

From this, similar long-distance carriages are included in short-range trains. And the station for the disbandment of such a train is informed in advance about the need to work with cars with oversized cargo.

In those cases when the routes of trains carrying dangerous goods differ from those operating according to the established formation plans, the procedure for including such cars in trains is drawn up according to the relevant order issued by the railway administration.

Routing metrics

The plan for the formation of freight trains consists of several parts: determination of the type of rolling stock, categories of cars, stations for their disbandment, and more. The main indicators for this plan are routing indicators:

1. Its level is for individual cargoes and for the whole.
2. The average distance of the routes.
3. The size of the processing of cars removed by shipment routes at precinct and sorting railway stations.
4. The specific gravity of the route loading for unloading in spraying and at one station.
5. The total amount of savings of the given hours of processing by all shipping routes.

General indicators

For train formation plans, general indicators are also important:

1. The size of transit flows of cars.
2. Processing ratios.
3. The average range of freight trains.
4. Wagon-watch processing.
5. The number of items generated.
6. The average capacity of car flows related to one purpose.

We examined what is called a plan for the formation of trains, its features, important indicators and essence. We identified methods, varieties of formation, adjustment of such a plan.