LUKS – Analysis of lines and junctions
LUKS – Analysis of lines and junctions
The LUKS software tool is an integrated system for several types of railway operations research. LUKS is modular in design and comprises several core components plus modules with which to compile timetables, subject lines and junctions to analytical examinations and simulate the timetabling and operational processes.
During the last years, LUKS became the standard tool for capacity assessment of German DB Netz AG, the standard tools for simulation at INFRABEL as well as the default system to answer capacitive questions at EBA (German railway authority). It is used in Norway at Jernbanedirektoratet for simulation purposes as well as at Azerbaijan Railways CJSC for timetabling.
Individual approaches for different scopes
Individual approaches for different scopes
To validate and analyse the consequences of infrastructure and/or timetable changes, several approaches exists. LUKS supports the following established approaches.
LUKS basic
LUKS basic
LUKS basic – Infrastructure and train editor
LUKS basic – Infrastructure and train editor
General characteristics
General characteristics
Incorporated method is certified and required by German railway authority (EBA) to validate infrastructure actions.
Common successor of former tools STRELE, SPURPLAN, FAKTUS/RUT-0, ANKE and BABSI.
Recommended by UIC for capacity analysis of ETCS.
Applied for consulting work on networks inside and outside Europe.
Different import and export interfaces for infrastructure and timetable data.
Interfaces simplify both the import and export
Interfaces simplify both the import and export
To ensure an efficient integration into the workflow, LUKS offers various interfaces to read and write different formats of infrastructure and timetables.
Infrastructure data
Infrastructure data
XML-ISS (compatible to DaViT)
railML IS
RUT-0
- Artemis (Import only)
If no adaptable infrastructure graph is available yet, the elements (e.g. gradients, signals) of tracks can be imported from text-files or xml
Timetable / operating programme
Timetable / operating programme
XML-KSS (compatible to RUT-K)
- railML TT
RUT-0 (former tools FAKTUS and ANKE)
Viriato
Paula-Z
Import from standard INFRABEL data
Infrastructure editor
Infrastructure editor
It is usually the case that investigations of railway operations reveal a need to alter imported infrastructure data speedily and straightforwardly. But it must also be possible to completely recapture infrastructure without unreasonable effort.
Great value was attached when developing the user interface to simplifying standard work steps and providing access to them within a low number of necessary actions. The various editors are accordingly configured in context-related fashion; prototyping of new infrastructure is supported by station templates.

Routes and tracks
Routes and tracks
Building on a given infrastructure, “control post routes” are used to map all running options admitted by the signalling system. A route of this kind defines the course of a train’s movement through a control post, described as a series of decisions taken at all S&C systems to be negotiated.
Platform tracks are likewise based on the infrastructure initially captured and are required for the track-occupation diagram, as a means of demarcating “track groups” in analytical studies or, in simulation exercises, of establishing spatial limits for various types of interconnection between train movements.

Train editor
Train editor
The train editor is the major component to specify trains and train instances, e.g. a specific train run of a timetable. The train editor focuses on the data of a single train instance including its physical and operational characteristics and its route through the network.

Running and Blocking time calculation
Running and Blocking time calculation
Track-occupation is computed on the basis of the running time calculated. This involves forming blocking times along the line negotiated using distance/time curves. Blocking time is taken to mean the time during which a block section between two block signals is occupied by a train, inclusive of various prior and subsequent running times.
Calculation of running times always covers sophisticated calculation of blocking times.
Calculation of running times always covers sophisticated calculation of blocking times.

As with the running time calculation, the blocking time units calculated by LUKS and RuT-K were found to be identical. A blocking-time series is the sum of all blocking-time units along the line negotiated. Further details are to be found in [3].
The distance/time curves and blocking-time series for all trains computed are represented in a track-occupation graph that also points up any conflicting moves. Such conflicts always arise when several train movements wish to use the same infrastructure simultaneously. They can be remedied either directly in the running-path definition, in the course of further processing, or when the timetable is fine-tuned.
Implemented train protection and supervision modes
Implemented train protection and supervision modes
Intermittent automatic train control (PZB 90 of Deutsche Bahn AG)
European Train Control system (ETCS Level 1, 2 and 3)
Semi-regular distance between signals
Reduced distance between multi-section signals
Open design
Open design
Software architecture is capable of additional train protection systems or individual modifications of the blocking time model.
Details on the modelling of PZB 90 / I60R
Details on the modelling of PZB 90 / I60R
Under certain conditions, train supervision impacts capacity consumption
Under certain conditions, train supervision impacts capacity consumption
The running time is influenced by train supervision, if the next main signal is closed.
This impact arises in simulations or in a capacity assessment entering a scheduled stop.
The implementation of different interference strategies can be evaluated.

LUKS-A
LUKS-A
Analytic assessment of capacity and operation’s quality
Analytic assessment of capacity and operation’s quality
LUKS-A implements queueing based methods to get general statements about the utilization of infrastructure sectors or about their behavior at an increased utilization of individual relations. The queueing model has the advantage of identifying infrastructure bottlenecks or highly polluted areas or track groups rather quickly and on a more abstract level. The uncertainties of future developments and operating programs are represented by long-term-approaches like daily load curve, operation programs, queuing theory application and random variables.
Analytic approach is based on decomposition of the infrastructure
Analytic approach is based on decomposition of the infrastructure
In general, the exact timetable which has to be faced by the infrastructure is not yet known in this situation. Instead, by means of queueing theory the operating programme is understood as “customers” wanting to be “served” by the infrastructure. This way, the capacity assessment is directly linked to the operation’s quality expressed in terms of scheduled and unscheduled waiting times. These performance indicators can be calculated for different parts of the infrastructure, which is decomposed into “servers”.

LUKS-S
LUKS-S
LUKS-S – Simulation
LUKS-S – Simulation
LUKS-S offers simulation of timetabling and railway operation. Both simulation modes operate on the microscopic infrastructure and train data.
The simulation of timetabling provides information on whether a given operating schedule is viable, i.e. whether it is possible to construct a conflict-free timetable that contains the envisaged train movements.
The simulation of operations scrutinizes the ability of an existing timetable to deal with unforeseen disruptions. Train movements are simulated synchronously to be able to map any unforeseen disruptions. Conflicts are automatically detected and resolved to simulate the anticipatory dispatching at operation control centers.
Automatic conflict detection and resolution
The simulation in LUKS does not require the user to detect or solve conflicts manually in any way. It automatically detects any overlapping of two blocking-times and solve them with a number of possible conflict resolution options. The available solution approaches mimic the behaviour of a dispatcher, who might e.g. alter the route within one or more stations or might insert passing and crossing stops or recommends trimming.
All potential conflicts resolutions are tested and evaluated with the microscopic data model. This allows a very realistic evaluation of the effects. The used objective function is highly configurable to model different conflict resolution strategies and goals.
Timetabling
The simulation of timetabling turns a conflicted operating schedule into a conflict-free timetable using the automatic conflict detection and resolution. If the infrastructure does not have the capacity to handle all desired train trains, the simulation rejects some of them.
Operations
This simulation modes works on two levels to properly model railway operations.
On the field level, it synchronously simulates the work of the train driver and the interlocking system. It monitors the speed of train movements and memorizes their current location and status. It additionally simulates the setting of routes and signals and incorporates disturbances into the proceedings at random. There is no complex resolution of conflicts at this level; track-occupation conflicts are resolved by the simulated traffic protection system, i.e. by means of trimming.
On the traffic control level, the current status of all trains and the microscopic running time calculation are used to create a forecast of the future situation. Any conflicts arising in the forecast are handled by the automatic conflict detection and resolution. The anticipatory approach reduces the risk of deadlocks. This level regularly creates rescheduled timetable and forwards them to the field level.
This simulation mode also offers a batch mode. The batch mode allows the automatic simulation and evaluation of a large number of runs, each one with different random disturbances.
Evaluation
The simulation results can be evaluated inside and outside of LUKS. The build-in evaluations include:
- All conflict resolution: What was done and why? It is also possible to take a look at all considered alternative solution including their evaluation.
- Delays in each station: Average, quantiles and punctuality
- Disturbances: All events that randomly occurred during the operations
- Waiting time, changes in delay
- Level of infrastructure utilization
- Running time quotients
- Rescheduled timetable: The actual trajectories and speed profiles of all trains
- Detection of infrastructure bottlenecks
The results can also be exported to CSV (Excel/Access), OTT and railML-TT. This allows additional evaluation of the results outside of LUKS.
LUKS-K
LUKS-K
LUKS-K – Timetable construction and scheduling
LUKS-K – Timetable construction and scheduling
Based on the train movement information given in the train editor, the LUKS-K module facilitates the interactive fine-tuning of schedules and thus provides a convenient way of visualising and processing train movements, especially using the integrated conflict detection.
LUKS-K offers different views towards the timetable construction
- time-distance diagram
- track occupation plan
- graphical timetable
- animation of timetable
- load curves and
- usage-ratio diagrams
Time-distance diagram
Time-distance diagram
Using the common layout of all former editors (e.g. infrastructure or train editor), the time-distance diagram view provides the visualisation of the time-space trajectories of train paths combined with the associated blocking-time sequences and buffer times. Of course, several detail information can be displayed for any blocking.
The intuitive interface allows different interactive tasks like
- Variation of dwelling time
- Bending of path
Shifting of path by drag’n’drop moving
- Changing of routing
- Further posibilities like
- Addition of overtaking stops
- Enlisting conflicts
- Complex bending

Track occupation plan
Track occupation plan
Given the tracks defined in the appropriate editor, LUKS-K can also compile a view for station tracks, which provides a sophisticated way of timetable respectively train data editing while focusing on a single station.
Again, several (interactive) tasks like changing the arrival and/or departure time or the used track are supported, while the running and blocking time calculation foresees potentional conflicts even beyond the considered station.

LUKS-C
LUKS-C
LUKS-C – Compression / UIC code 406
LUKS-C – Compression / UIC code 406
LUKS-C implements capacity evaluation functionalities following UIC Leaflet 406 “Capacity”. Starting with a timetable provided by LUKS-K, the UIC 406 concatenation approach can be performed for several investigation and evaluation areas, time windows and under various parametric configurations. LUKS-C can therefore be considered as a generic toolbox implementing the concatenation approach but leaving wide flexibility to define infrastructure manager specific characteristics and rules.

LUKS News
LUKS News
Junior Ingenieur/Consultant (m/w/d/)
Junior Consultant/Ingenieur (m/w/d)
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