The train timetable of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) has won the prestigious Franz Edelman Award. Last monday this prize for operational research was awarded to a team of researchers from NS, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Padua (Italy) and Centrum Wiskunde en Informatica (CWI). The software that constructed the new train timetable for 2006 was developed by Lex Schrijver en Adri Steenbeek of CWI.
The timetable of Europe's busiest railway network is based on mathemathecal models. The system takes into account many factors, like available railway tracks, railway knots, platforms, trains and personnel. The traveler now enjoys the robust timetable with more trains running and fewer delays. Also the roster of the NS personnel and the use of material have been improved. The system that calculates the mathematical models is called CADANS. It is one of four systems NS uses for scheduling. CWI researchers developed CADANS for the NS. Lex Schrijver also wrote the software for the routing of material, together with Gábor Maróti, who as a result of his research at CWI took his doctoral degree in 2006.
The yearly competition for the Franz Edelman Award was held for the 37th time by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. The prize goes to excellent researchers in the field of operational research who have great influence on companies or daily life. Besides NS six other companies made it to the finals.
- More information on INFORMS and the Franz Edelman Award: http://www.informs.org/Edelman
