Evaluating railway junction infrastructure: A queueing-based, timetable-independent analysis

Many infrastructure managers have the goal to increase the capacity of their railway infrastructure due to an increasing demand. While methods for performance calculations of railway line infrastructure are already well established, the determination of railway junction capacity remains a challenge. This work utilizes the concept of queueing theory to develop a method for the capacity calculation of railway junctions, solely depending on their infrastructure layout along with arrival and service rates. The implementation of the introduced approach is based on probabilistic model-checking. It can be used to decide which infrastructure layout to build, i.e. whether an overpass for the analysed railway junction is needed. The developed method addresses the need for fast and reliable timetable-independent railway junction capacity evaluation, catering specifically to the long-term strategic planning of junction infrastructure. •Timetable independent capacity analysis of railway junctions.•Formulation as a queueing system utilizing Continuous-Time Markov Chains.•Application of state-of-the-art probabilistic model-checking to estimate performance indicators.•Decision support for infrastructure managers when planning required infrastructure layouts.•Comparison with classical methods determining the capacity occupation of railway infrastructure.