Operations of Heavy Haul Combined Trains on Busy Double-tracked Railway Lines between Marshalling Stations

This paper is intended to make a feasibility study on the operation of heavy haul combined trains on busy double-tracked railway lines of mixed traffic between marshalling stations based on the information gained from the operations of heavy haul combined trains on the Shenyang-Shanhaiguan Railway Line. Also described in this paper are the requirements and physical conditions necessary for the said operations; the optimum range of the number of trains; the effects on the carrying capacity (pairs) and the traffic capacity (tonnes); as well as the social and economic benefits. Following is the primary conclusions: 1. It is feasible to operate heavy haul combined trains on busy double-tracked railway lines of mixed traffic between marshalling stations. It is deemed to be one of the important means for increasing the transportation capacity and it is also in compliance with the actual Chinese conditions in tapping the potentialities of railways to increase carrying capacity. 2. The optimum range of the number of heavy haul combined trains should be: 10-15 pairs or 6-8 pairs per day depending respectively on the number of passenger trains of 30-40 pairs or 50 pairs per day operated, when the number of freight trains is fixed. 3. The deduction coefficient for the operation of heavy haul combined trains is Σc = 1.1 - 1.4. 4. The social and economic benefits to be gained from this operation is averaged to be PMB 1x10{8} yuan per train per year.