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Calcimator

Track Capacity Calculator

Estimate daily and annual train capacity from signal system type, number of tracks, segment length, and operating parameters.

Inputs

miles
mph
hrs

Results

Daily train capacity

39.9 trains/day

Annual train capacity14,571 trains/year
Minimum headway8 min
Annual tonnage capacity72.9 MGT
Daily tonnage199,606 tons
Segment transit time75 min
Velocity factor0.81
Delay index18.6 min/100 train-mi
Theoretical capacity150 trains
Practical utilization65%
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Signal system, Number of main tracks, and Segment length.
  2. Set Average train speed and Operating hours per day.
  3. Review the Daily train capacity (trains/day) result.
  4. Use Annual train capacity (trains/year) and Minimum headway (min) to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Number of main tracks

Number of main tracksDaily train capacity
1.376.1 trains/day
2.05197.9 trains/day
2.95250.6 trains/day
3.7294.5 trains/day

What each input means

Signal system
0 = dark territory, 1 = ABS, 2 = CTC, 3 = PTC/moving block.
Number of main tracks
Main tracks on the corridor (1=single, 2=double, etc.).
Segment length
Length of the track segment being analyzed.
Average train speed
Average speed including acceleration, braking, and slow orders.
Operating hours per day
Hours of train operation per day (4 hours for maintenance window).

What each result means

Daily train capacity
Practical daily capacity (65% of theoretical).
Annual train capacity
Total trains per year at practical capacity.
Minimum headway
Minimum time between trains based on signal system.
Annual tonnage capacity
Million gross tons per year assuming 5,000-ton average trains.
Daily tonnage
Total gross tons per day.
Segment transit time
Time to traverse the segment at average speed.
Velocity factor
Speed reduction factor due to traffic density (1.0 = free-running).
Delay index
Expected delay per 100 train-miles at practical capacity.
Theoretical capacity
Maximum theoretical trains per track per direction per day.
Practical utilization
Practical capacity as percentage of theoretical.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Signal system = 2, Number of main tracks = 1, Segment length = 50, Average train speed = 40 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Daily train capacity
    Daily train capacity
    39.9 = 39.9
  3. Calculate Annual train capacity
    Annual train capacity = dailyCapacity * 365
    14571 = 14571
  4. Calculate Minimum headway
    8 = 8

Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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