João Paulo Varandas, Graphical User Interface Team Leader @SISCOG | 12 min read
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FIRST… THERE WAS PAPER
When SISCOG signed its first contracts with railway companies and began developing its resource planning and management products in the 1980s, the operational information available was not very systematic and organised. In fact, from the client perspective, these projects were often the motivation and the means to start organising their data. At this time, many companies invested heavily in the computerisation and digitalisation of their operations. This quest required the organisation, systematisation and consequent computerisation of large amounts of dispersed information, most of which was previously on paper.
Regarding information on the operational railway network, SISCOG essentially faced two challenges at that time. Firstly, it was important to define what information was necessary and sufficient to support the crew duty planning process (crew was the first operational resource we addressed). Secondly, the information available about the characteristics and layout of the operational railway network consisted of maps and other paper documents. It is worth noting that the commercial use of GPS receivers was developed mainly in the late 1990s and early 21st century. Therefore, it was only then, and with the development and use of sophisticated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that transport companies began to systematise detailed information about their operational network.
THE WORK BEHIND THE SCENES
At the beginning of the development of each resource planning system for the reality of a transport company, it is necessary to gather and define a set of background information, such as network, vehicle types, different classifications, complementary information, etc. This is a considerable task and requires significant effort.
The background data set is essential because it will support the development and testing of the prototype and/or final system. Among the various components, obtaining and organising information on the operational rail network is usually one of the major initial challenges and can be both time-consuming and prone to errors.
Each company has its own ways of working (often with a legacy spanning more than a hundred years), organising and representing information. There is little standardisation at a global level, although in Europe there is a strong influence of some countries in terms of working methods and nomenclature. The European Union has also been strongly influencing the need to adopt more standards. However, historical legacies are not easy to change.
SISCOG has been developing software products for resource planning beyond just staff. We have a product for designing timetables, another for planning the use of vehicles, and yet another for planning vehicle movements within station areas and for managing parking within the shunting yard.
These products require different levels of detail of the operational network; complementary information specific to each type of planning; and integration of the operational network between stations (global network) with the operational network within each station (local network).
For each new client and their specific reality, SISCOG carries out a thorough analysis of the information required to support the varied planning processes for our four products, thus ensuring that it is adequate and complete. When analysing the information stored by these companies in their GIS (which they have since adopted and use), we may no longer face paper documents, but we are confronted with an enormous amount of complex information.
“The background data set is essential because it will support the development and testing of the prototype and/or final system.”
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The complexity of a railway network is huge. For example:
- signalling systems have several components (traffic lights, balises, transceivers, control devices);
- areas with a dense net of tracks;
- track geometry significantly influences train speed;
- stations can be simple stops or complex terminals with multiple services and facilities;
- a switch can have several inputs and outputs;
- some traffic lights are more critical than others;
- the location of employee rest areas affects transition times between trains;
- tracks can have different widths and be electrified or not;
- among other aspects.
WHAT WE REALLY NEED
Planning systems do not require such complexity.
Planning support models generally abstract these aspects, and SISCOG has developed internal models that effectively support these different levels and types of information.
Therefore, the conversion of information provided by transport companies to the SISCOG Suite network operational model is not straightforward and always requires human intervention.
The need to make this conversion quick and effective led to the development of a tool for defining, validating and maintaining the operational network – the Network Editor.
DEFINING THE NETWORK
Given these scenarios and, above all, the need to develop prototypes for (potential) new clients, it became necessary to completely review the way in which the operational network is defined, verified, and maintained in a resource planning system.
To address this challenge, several requirements for functionality and visualisation were established, which includes:
- Graphic functionality for network editing and visualisation.
- Support for global and local perspectives, including GIS base-maps and station diagrams.
- Network visualisation capabilities such as displaying the network, defining routes, showing vehicle movements, and displaying statistics.
Figure 1: Example of the editing screen for a global network in a diagrammatic representation.
Figure 2: Example of the editing screen for a station's local network diagram.
A new tool was implemented using web technology. We chose a well-known and proven JavaScript library for displaying information and drawing over a base-map provided, for example, by ArcGIS systems, Google Maps or OpenStreetMap. This library also allows to design the diagrammatic layout over a blank whiteboard, which is suitable for designing local networks geographically within a railway station.
A comprehensive review of the design was conducted to improve user experience, symbology, colour coding, and other graphical elements. The existing support functionality and internal models were adapted to fully integrate the new graphical interface.
“The Network Editor - a tool for defining, validating and maintaining the operational network.”
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The outcome is the Network Editor, a tool incorporated into the SISCOG Suite. It serves not only as a network editing tool but also replaces the previous graphical interface for visualising the network and defining routes and subnetworks. With an appealing design and completely revised interaction, this tool has garnered positive feedback from users, enhancing their user experience. Additionally, it has proven to be an indispensable resource for developing in-house prototypes.
KEY BENEFITS OF THE NETWORK EDITOR
This Network Editor is an excellent tool for defining and managing a railway operational network due to several key features:
- Visual Representation: It provides a visual interface where users can see the entire railway network layout. This visual representation helps users easily understand the structure and connections within the network, making it simpler to draw the network layout.
- Intuitive Design: It offers drag-and-drop functionality, allowing users to place and connect different components of the railway system with ease, such as tracks, signals, switches, and stations.
- Feedback: As users make changes, it validates the consistency of the network, providing feedback. This allows users to immediately see the impact of the changes on the network, facilitating quicker and more accurate adjustments.
- Integration: It enables the combination of various components to define a complete operational railway network, facilitating the visualisation of interactions between different network segments.
- Data Management: It facilitates the maintenance of the operational railway network, allowing the modification or expansion of its components.
- Coherence: the visual representation used to edit the network is the same as that used to visualise it in the rest of the SISCOG planning products.
Overall, this Network Editor facilitates the process of creating and managing a railway network by offering an intuitive, visual and interactive platform that improves efficiency and accuracy in network design.