Freight transportation using high-speed train systems

Abstract

This study investigates the use of high-speed trains (HSTs) for transporting freight, such as small cargo and mail. A HST scheduling model is constructed to observe the effects of including freight in a passenger-only system. The proposed mathematical model is tested with an experimental study using the Turkish State Railways high-speed rail network and train sets. Freight transportation is analyzed in two cases, namely, adding separate freight trains to the system and using passenger trains for freight transportation. It can be concluded that dividing the sequences of cities into two allows for the completion of train services earlier in the day, and using the same train for transporting both passengers and freight provides more time saving in the system.