Maneuvering optimisation for emerging heterogeneous heavy-haul trainsets within existing rail communication-signaling infrastructure to enable safe and efficient operation

A key challenge limiting the industrial deployment of large-scale heavy-haul trainsets, such as 30,000-ton units, is ensuring stable maneuverability under complex railway and communication conditions. This study investigates the differences in communication range and maneuverability between traditional combined trains and emerging virtual coupled train platoons, focusing on the existing rail communication-signaling infrastructure. The goal is to ensure reliable communication and stable maneuverability in complex environments. To achieve this, a general optimisation model is developed for maneuvering heterogeneous heavy-haul trainsets with various configurations. The model incorporates both longitudinal train dynamics and communication factors, achieving convex relaxation by equivalently modelling three-dimensional railway lines, ensuring a globally efficient and stable solution. The model and method are validated through engineering case studies, demonstrating significant improvements in maneuverability safety and energy efficiency. The analysis shows that the primary safety concerns for 30,000-ton combined trains and train platoons are longitudinal impact and rear-end collisions, respectively. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the train to train(T2T) communication delay limits be set at 2.70 s for combined trains and 5.70 s for train platoons.