Visual Analytics for Supporting Conflict Resolution in Large Railway Networks

Abstract

Train operators are responsible for maintaining and following the schedule of large-scale railway transport systems. Disruptions to this schedule imply conflicts that occur when two trains are bound to use the same railway segment. It is upon the train operator to decide which train must go first to resolve the conflict. As the railway transport system is a large and complex network, the decision may have a high impact on the future schedule, further train delay, costs, and other performance indicators. Due to this complexity and the enormous amount of underlying data, machine learning models have proven to be useful. However, the automated models are not accessible to the train operators which results in a low trust in following their predictions. We propose a Visual Analytics solution for a decision support system to support the train operators in making an informed decision while providing access to the complex machine learning models. Different integrated, interactive views allow the train operator to explore the various impacts that a decision may have. Additionally, the user can compare various data-driven models which are structured by an experience-based model. We demonstrate a decision-making process in a use case highlighting how the different views are made use of by the train operator.