To meet the needs of constructing various railway systems in Taiwan, the Institute of Transportation, MOTC has carried out a series of rail capacity research projects. In terms of conventional railway systems, rail capacity analysis models and software have been developed as assessment tools to identify capacity bottlenecks and evaluate capacity enhancement strategies. However, the capacity analysis issues at classification yards and terminal stations still need further investigations. Therefore, the Institute of Transportation, MOTC launched this two-year project titled “Research on Capacity Analysis of Intercity Railways and Its Applications” to advance and refine related studies.
In the first year (2023) of this project, a station capacity analysis model was successfully developed. The second year (2024) focuses on enhancing "Conventional Rail Capacity Software" by integrating the station capacity analysis function to improve analysis efficiency and practicality. Notably, the software now includes features for editing platform and track layouts for custom stations, offering users greater flexibility in station design. Additionally, the study accounted for scenarios such as train speed restrictions at turnouts and entry/exit operations at classification yards, and developed more accurate formulas for calculating signal close-in time, which will serve as an important foundation for future rail capacity research. Finally, the project's outcomes have been promoted through manual compilation, results presentations, and training programs.