Methodology for Determining the Rational Order of Using Shunting Locomotives at a Passenger Station

Railway transport is one of the most important modes of passenger transportation in the Russian Federation. In 2023, it accounted for more than 35 % of all travellers. At the same time, long-distance transportation accounts for almost 37 % of the total volume of transportation by rail. The analysis of the dynamics of changes in passenger turnover and transportation volumes suggests that the market has not only recovered from the unprecedented decline of 2020 but continues to grow steadily. The growth in passenger transportation volumes entails an increase in the volume of work at passenger and passenger technical stations. The load on station complexes increases (especially during periods of mass transportation). Carriers are constantly working on new transportation products that are distinguished by speed and level of comfort. For example, today, JSC FPC alone offers its customers about 90 combinations of offers that differ not only in the category of train, type of car, but also in the range of services offered during the travel. In this case, obviously, the key requirement, regardless of the class, is the high quality of preparation of trains for the trip and the coordinated work of all passenger departments. Currently, most studies of the passenger infrastructure of railway transport are devoted to the study of its individual objects, for example, to the design and operation features of transfer hubs, the technology of passenger and passenger technical stations. At the same time, little attention is paid to the integrated functioning of the «passenger station – passenger technical station – transport interchange hub as of a single system. The article proposes a mathematical formalisation of the process of rational sequence of servicing passenger trains using linear programming methods, which allows solving a number of operational problems and conducting research to assess the level of influence of various factors on the performance of passenger and passenger technical stations.