A Robust Model an‎d Solution Approach for the Railway Network Design Problem under Uncertain Deman‎d

10/15/2026 12:00:00 AM

Nowadays, the development of efficient an‎d sustainable transportation systems has become one of the main priorities in national planning. The importance of transportation in improving the economy, reducing environmental pollution, an‎d achieving sustainable development is undeniable. Among various transportation modes, the design of railway networks plays a significant role in transportation planning due to their high capacity for passenger an‎d freight transport, lower energy consumption compared to other systems, an‎d the potential to reduce road traffic congestion. Designing an optimal railway network, particularly under uncertain deman‎d conditions, is one of the main challenges in transportation engineering, as deman‎d fluctuations can significantly influence the network’s performance an‎d costs. In this study, a robust mathematical model is proposed for the railway network design problem under deman‎d uncertainty, aiming to minimize transportation costs. The proposed model is designed to not only optimize the total cost of the network but also ensure its flexibility in response to deman‎d fluctuations. Within the presented research framework, first, a deterministic transportation optimization model is developed, which includes constraints such as budget, arc capacity, an‎d flow balance. Subsequently, the model is extended to a robust counterpart. In the computational section, the model is implemented an‎d solved for a sample network using GAMS software, an‎d sensitivity analyses are conducted on key parameters. To efficiently solve the model, the Benders decomposition method is utilized, which divides the main problem into simpler subproblems, enabling the solution of large-scale an‎d complex networks more efficiently. This approach reduces computational time an‎d provides high-quality solutions. The results indicate that the proposed robust model is capable of designing an economical, resilient, an‎d operational railway network, an‎d that the suggested approach performs effectively in reducing total costs. This research provides a solid foundation for future studies on the design of more complex network systems. Keywords: Railway transportation, Network design problem, Robust optimization, Benders decomposition

حمل‌ونقل ريلي , مسئله طراحي شبكه , بهينه‌سازي استوار , روش تجزيه بندرز

Railway transportation , Network design problem , Robust optimization , Benders decomposition

Atena Heydari panah

Dr. Reza Mohammad Hasany