The Transportation Plan System raises the efficiency of operating plan development, promotes the use of databases for planning information, and provides the data to users who need it.

In addition, a database of rolling stock information was created to enhance the efficiency of rolling stock management.

The data necessary for management planning is immediately available.


Objectives

Branch planning departments use computer support to generate operating schedules, to prepare rolling stock and crew schedules, and to prepare summaries and arrangements and transmit them online to stations, crew teams, and maintenance teams.

The system also manages the performance of train crews and the histories and accident records of rolling stock.


Functions

1. Plan Creation
   Creation of operations plans such as operating schedules and crew schedules.
2. Plan Transmission
   Train plans, rolling stock operations plans, conveyance of instructions, output of data to operating management systems, crew duty functions, and station and maintenance crew functions.
3. Performance Data
   Statistics concerning operating kilometer performance.
   
4. Rolling Stock Management
   Rolling stock management ledgers, rolling stock accident management, rolling stock usage management, rolling stock inspection planning.

Results

The system accelerates the pace of work in planning divisions and reduces the incidence of errors. The system also makes selection, transfer, and comparison of operating reports by on-site departments unnecessary.
Reports on trains, rolling stock, and crew performance can be immediately accessed online and information stored in databases can be searched.
Rolling stock ledgers and rolling stock accident data is managed centrally.


Outline of the System

Branch planning departments use computer support to generate operating schedules, to prepare rolling stock and crew schedules, and to prepare summaries and arrangements and transmit them online to stations, crew teams, and maintenance teams.
On-site departments can output operating status tables (stations), portable timetables, toll call lists (crew team sites), and operating coordination tables (maintenance crews).
The system also manages the performance of train crews and the histories and accident records of rolling stock.
Rolling station allocation sites can create rolling stock ledgers and databases of rolling stock accidents and manage them centrally, providing computer support for rolling stock usage management and rolling stock inspection planning.


System Details

1. Plan creation
2. Plan transmission
   1. Branch functions
   2. Crew duty management functions
   3. Station operating information output functions
   4. Maintenance crew operating information output functions
3. Access to performance data
4. Rolling stock management
   1. Rolling stock ledger management
   2. Rolling stock construction management
   3. Rolling stock machinery management
   4. Rolling stock equipment management
   5. Rolling stock breakdown management
   6. Rolling stock inspection planning
   7. Rolling stock usage management

Background of Development and Future Enhancements

As part of the effort to adopt information systems and modernize railway operations, COSMOS was introduced for the Shinkansen and CTC and PRC used for existing lines. This has resulted in higher train speeds, but for a very long time the creation of train schedules, the preparation of rolling stock and crew schedules, and the transmission of this information was performed manually with human intervention, requiring considerable time and effort. Accordingly, improving the creation of plans and their transmission has long been a major issue.
The development of a Transportation Plan System was broadly divided into two steps: step 1 involved the transmission of plans, accessing performance data, and managing rolling stock; and step 2 concerned the creation of plans. Step 1 development was completed in 1995, and step 2 was finished in 1998. From 1997 to 1999, updating of equipment was performed.
In the future, databases of train information, rolling stock information, crew information, and so on will be provided to necessary information systems for more effective use of this data.