LRDSS
an IT industry perspective
Dr Siddhartha SenGupta
Tata Infotech Ltd
Siddhartha.SenGupta@TataInfotech.com
Agenda
 Strengths
 Possible enhancements?
 Commentary - Phase end findings
 Tata Infotech in related work
1. LRDSS project
2. Train Planning, Monitoring & Control
3. Equipment repositioning - loco/wagon availability
4. The "Data problem" - towards analytical quality
 The "IT" angle
1. LRDSS is not "IT" - it is Management Science
2. Expectations of Indian “IT” companies
Copyright: Tata Infotech Limited
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LRDSS - Strengths
 One of the few Large Scale Analytical Planning tools
used by Indian Public Sector
 Major aspects covered:
 Opportunity: Forecasting business volume & price
 Threats:
Analyzing competition
 Strength/Weakness: Rail technology evaluation
 Micro level: Sectional bottleneck analysis
 Plan generation
 Alternate investment scenario analysis
 Project Cost, Revenue & Cash Flow report
 Improvement in data quality, backed up by surveys
 “Best of breed” analytical approaches
 Excellent team
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LRDSS – enhancements?
 System Verification:
 Monitoring: Compare prediction against actual
Success report on projects evaluated
 Valuation: Estimate RoI of LRDSS
 Goal:
LRDSS as a core input to Rail Budget
 Some additions/changes
 Workflow S..Z..B for Business/Price Forecasts
 “Rail Technology” to include “ICT” option
 “Force multiplication” of Rs 25 KB Loco/wagons 1%=$100M
 Use automated train planning w/ data logger inputs
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RAILS does not optimize (only feasibility check)
Use Furness approach also for capacity analysis
MINOS is outdated, use GA-based engines
Linearize all models
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LP speed up
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Commentary– Phase findings
 ’96 Phase I report:
 Data unavailability – impacts: delay, report quality
 “Ambitious” with 3 modules (bugs, integration, ..)
 China Rail 1990 study quoted, but reorganization?
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Commentary– Phase findings
 ’00 Phase II report:
 Declining profitability – make IR unviable??
 How improve wagon availability? (customer need)
 How reduce ops slack? (30% capacity here)
 How to “tighten” loco timetables? (capacity issue)
 Capacity only answer to bottleneck??

Golden Quadrilateral??
 New trucking technology & improved road load??
 Improved sectional “capacity” measurement??
 New ops practices? e.g. heavy MUXing for freight
 “Expert Advisors” were suggested for IT – where?
 MIS systems were suggested – lack integration
Copyright: Tata Infotech Limited
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Agenda
 Strengths
 Possible enhancements?
 Commentary - Phase end findings
 Tata Infotech in related work
1. LRDSS project
2. Train Planning, Monitoring & Control
3. Equipment repositioning - loco/wagon availability
4. The "Data problem" - towards analytical quality
 The "IT" angle
1. LRDSS is not "IT" - it is Management Science
2. Expectations of Indian “IT” companies
Copyright: Tata Infotech Limited
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Train Control and Planning
Konkan &
Indian
Railways
Projects
TopRail
Oil Tanker Scheduling
Oil
Coordination
Committee
INDIA
CASE STIDY
Managing 3PL
business
Forecasting & Planning,
Empty Container Repositioning
Copyright: Tata Infotech Limited
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Tata Infotech - LRDSS
 Supported WB consultants Peter Cook and Bob Leilich
 RAILS simulations
 Data cleaning & Optimisation
 Short interaction at GIS/Trans and CSI offices
 Longer interaction at Railway Board
 Lessons
 Very low level interaction
 No joint planning
 Contract work limited to simulations on T&M
 Systems replacement options outside scope
 Budget / long term plans unknown
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Tata Infotech Train Ops System
Controller
Inputs
Static
Data
Field
Data
OPEN
COMMON
INTERFACE
Simulation
Planning
Training
Graphic
Displays:
Train
Describer
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O p e r a t io n s
M anagem ent
Alarms
Maintenance
Passenger
Information
Route
Control
CTC
MIS
Reports
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Tata Infotech Train Ops System
Train
Operations
Planning
Management
•Real-time operations
•Avoid “Scheduler blues”
line blockage
•Line Capacity utilisation
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•Timetabling
passenger/freight
•Freight train pathing
•Realistic simulations
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The resources
Timetabled passenger
express….commuter
Pathed freight
heavy….empty
Medical / breakdown / tool vans
Light engine
Stabled loads
Motor, O/H equipment trolley
TTM machine
Gangman's trolley

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Tracks
mainly single, some double
gradients, curvatures
Stations
passing loops, halt stations
Signalling
absolute block
SCADA
interfaced to signal panel
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Stations
Trains
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Sites
Section Tracks KM Signal #stns
KRCL
1, 2 760
Trains
Local Pass Freight
22
22
2
Abs
52
HWH-KGP 2,3,4 116 Auto
34
157
52
46
KGP-TATA
2
134
Abs
18
15
26
35
KGP-BHC
2
177
Abs
28
12
35
30
PKU-HLZ
1
70
Abs
13
6
2
16
KGP-MDN
1
12
Abs
5
40
8
6
SRC-SHM
1
4
Abs
3
22
2
14
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Infrastructure Planning
 Highly congested segment
 Passenger & freight
 “Double Conventional” line operation
 “Absolute block” signaling
 Operations Managers suggested
 addition of 3rd line
 Signal Managers suggested
 signaling upgradation to Automatic
 extension of some station loops
 Simulation objective:
capacity increase by signaling change
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More tracks or signaling?
station
inter-station section
station
5 Km
Advanced
starter
Dist2
Dist1
Home
Dist2
Dist1
Home
Double Conventional line
Original : Average 5 Km absolute block section
1 Km
Advanced
starter
Home
Double Conventional line
Home
Suggested: 1 Km automatic block section
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AUTO SIGNALING
Simulation results
Booked Current Capacity Capacity
Speed capacity Absolute Automatic
(at actual
(Km/h) speeds) signalling signalling
60
55
60
35+15
120
60
70
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Simulation results analysis
 Current traffic pattern + Signal conversion gives
8% - 9% capacity increase
 Reason for low increase:
 Average “Absolute block” section
Advanced Starter to Home signal = 5 KM ZZ
 4 aspect (R, Y, YY, G) signals at 1 Km
1st (green) to 4th (red) signals = 3 Km
 Suggested
addition of loops on both sides at all stations
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Agenda
 Strengths
 Possible enhancements?
 Commentary - Phase end findings
 Tata Infotech in related work
1. LRDSS project
2. Train Planning, Monitoring & Control
3. Equipment repositioning - loco/wagon availability
4. The "Data problem" - towards analytical quality
 The "IT" angle
1. LRDSS is not "IT" - it is Management Science
2. Expectations of Indian “IT” companies
Copyright: Tata Infotech Limited
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Global Container Logistics
Managing 3PL
business
Forecasting & Planning,
Empty Container Repositioning
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Global Container Logistics
Client in “Buying & selling of Logistics”
• World #1 Global 3PL in tank containers
• Global operations
• Multi-commodity Network Flow
Driven by RoI – optimised asset utilization
•Improved sales by 12%
•Improved revenue by over $8M/yr
Technology
Optimisation, Forecasting & Workflow
Work
Optimised Repositioning
Annual Forecasting & Budgeting
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Agenda
 Strengths
 Possible enhancements?
 Commentary - Phase end findings
 Tata Infotech in related work
1. LRDSS project
2. Train Planning, Monitoring & Control
3. Equipment repositioning - loco/wagon availability
4. The "Data problem" - towards analytical quality
 The "IT" angle
1. LRDSS is not "IT" - it is Management Sciences
2. Expectations of Indian “IT” companies
Copyright: Tata Infotech Limited
24
Clean Analytical workbench
Models, Parameters
Analytical Functions
Statistical
Processing
Optimisation
Planner’s Workbench
Other
MIS
ERP
MIS Systems
ETL
Accounts
& Sales
Logistics
Yield
Mgmnt
Analytical Data Marts
Management
& Accounts
Global Sales
Intranet
Global
Operations
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Budgets
Plans
Pricing
Business Interface
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Agenda
 Strengths
 Possible enhancements?
 Commentary - Phase end findings
 Tata Infotech in related work
1. LRDSS project
2. Train Planning, Monitoring & Control
3. Equipment repositioning - loco/wagon availability
4. The "Data problem" - towards analytical quality
 The "IT" angle
1. LRDSS is not "IT" - it is Management Science
2. Expectations of Indian “IT” companies
Copyright: Tata Infotech Limited
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IT element in LRDSS
• LRDSS is NOT an “IT” project (IIT/IIM Depts)
1. The IT components are secondary
2. The Planning formulation is primary
3. “IT” is not a “Rail Technology” in LRDSS
• There are interesting tools/processes
1. Sectional capacity analysis
2. Train Timetabling
3. Train Monitoring & Planning
4. Loco/wagon repositioning
5. Customer Survey Analysis
6. Demand & Price Forecasting
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Expectations of vendors
•
•
•
•
•
Contract management
Work acceptance criteria
Volume, duration & nature of work
Consultancy rates (ref MRVC project)
LRDSS budget & timeframes
• Suggest
• IR-Academia-Industry partnership
• Joint planning & execution
• Funding reflecting returns/savings
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Tata Infotech Offerings
Analytic Services using these Technologies
• Data Analysis (Statistics, Data Mining)
• Optimization (OR, Artificial Intelligence)
• Rule Based Systems
Types of projects
• Small-to-mid size, Duration 1 month – 6 months
• Innovative/ repetitive work
Outsourcing modes
• T&M with Tata Infotech Technical Management
• T&M with Client Technical Management
• Turnkey
http://www.tatainfotech.com/services/optimization/index.htm
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