Project Abstract

The Swansea Model Railway demonstrates to the public how complex computer algorithms can be used to run a railway. However, it requires frequent reboots because trains need to be returned to their starting locations for new scenarios.Our project increases the reliability of this system by providing a way for the trains to be automatically routed and moved around the model. We used the REST API from the rail simulator to build a breadth-first search algorithm. This algorithm finds a path for trains to follow. We then instruct the trains to move along these paths. Challenges such as how trains navigate around junctions and overcoming unexpected javaScript behaviours have been addressed to ensure the pathfinding is capable of handling the majority of given scenarios. We built the project iteratively. This allowed us to ensure each part worked as expected before moving to the next stage. That said, we did encounter many challenges and our project is far from perfect, something you will be able to test at our stand, as we have the physical model railway running to demonstrate our project?��s performance. It is hoped that the understanding gained here could one day be applied to the rail industry, particularly to aid with shunting in depots or to reduce delays by assisting with creating recovery plans.

Keywords: Railway, Software Engineering,

 Conference Details

Session: Poster Session A at Poster Stand 6

Location: Sir Stanley Clarke Auditorium at Tuesday 7th 13:30 – 17:00

Markers: Liam O’reilly, Daniele Cafolla

Course: MSci Computer Science, 3rd Year

Future Plans: I’m looking for work