{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7160898870","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257","title":"Towards Autonomous Railway Operations: A Semi-Hierarchical Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach to the Vehicle Rescheduling Problem","display_name":"Towards Autonomous Railway Operations: A Semi-Hierarchical Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach to the Vehicle Rescheduling Problem","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-05-11","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7160898870","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135923331","display_name":"Alberto Castagna","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Castagna, Alberto","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5116141808","display_name":"Stefan Zahlner","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zahlner, Stefan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135958720","display_name":"Adrian Egli","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Egli, Adrian","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5027338239","display_name":"Christian Eichenberger","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4460-5194"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Eichenberger, Christian","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135985052","display_name":"Daniel Boos","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Boos, Daniel","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135913503","display_name":"Manuel Meyer","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Meyer, Manuel","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5055757453","display_name":"Anton Fuxj\u00e4ger","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3725-2389"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Fuxjager, Anton","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11568","display_name":"Railway Systems and Energy Efficiency","score":0.9595000147819519,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2209","display_name":"Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11568","display_name":"Railway Systems and Energy Efficiency","score":0.9595000147819519,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2209","display_name":"Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10567","display_name":"Vehicle Routing Optimization Methods","score":0.00570000009611249,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2209","display_name":"Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13439","display_name":"Transport and Economic Policies","score":0.005499999970197678,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1408","display_name":"Strategy and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/train","display_name":"Train","score":0.7591000199317932},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reinforcement-learning","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","score":0.717199981212616},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scheduling","display_name":"Scheduling (production processes)","score":0.5849000215530396},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/robustness","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","score":0.5670999884605408},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/routing","display_name":"Routing (electronic design automation)","score":0.5149000287055969},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/heuristic","display_name":"Heuristic","score":0.4803999960422516},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/unexpected-events","display_name":"Unexpected events","score":0.3747999966144562},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/deadlock","display_name":"Deadlock","score":0.34610000252723694}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C190839683","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2448197","display_name":"Train","level":2,"score":0.7591000199317932},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97541855","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q830687","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","level":2,"score":0.717199981212616},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206729178","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2271896","display_name":"Scheduling (production processes)","level":2,"score":0.5849000215530396},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.5676000118255615},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C63479239","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7353546","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","level":3,"score":0.5670999884605408},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74172769","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1446839","display_name":"Routing (electronic design automation)","level":2,"score":0.5149000287055969},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C173801870","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201413","display_name":"Heuristic","level":2,"score":0.4803999960422516},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C42475967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q194292","display_name":"Operations research","level":1,"score":0.3815000057220459},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776544517","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189447","display_name":"Unexpected events","level":2,"score":0.3747999966144562},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159023740","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q623276","display_name":"Deadlock","level":2,"score":0.34610000252723694},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55416958","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6206757","display_name":"Job shop scheduling","level":3,"score":0.34279999136924744},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778755073","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10858537","display_name":"Scale (ratio)","level":2,"score":0.30730000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.3012999892234802},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C24856439","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q352483","display_name":"Adaptive routing","level":5,"score":0.2962000072002411},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206345919","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20380951","display_name":"Resource (disambiguation)","level":2,"score":0.28189998865127563},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C29202148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q287260","display_name":"Resource allocation","level":2,"score":0.2775999903678894},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120314980","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180634","display_name":"Distributed computing","level":1,"score":0.27619999647140503},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56086750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6042592","display_name":"Integer programming","level":2,"score":0.2759999930858612},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12713177","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1900281","display_name":"Perspective (graphical)","level":2,"score":0.2720000147819519},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204673680","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1628107","display_name":"Airfield traffic pattern","level":2,"score":0.26570001244544983},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C174348530","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188635","display_name":"Bridging (networking)","level":2,"score":0.263700008392334},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C123784306","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q944041","display_name":"Vehicle routing problem","level":3,"score":0.2621000111103058},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C126255220","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q141495","display_name":"Mathematical optimization","level":1,"score":0.2603999972343445},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41045048","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202843","display_name":"Linear programming","level":2,"score":0.25999999046325684},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107327155","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q330268","display_name":"Decision support system","level":2,"score":0.25369998812675476}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.10257","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.49382922053337097,"display_name":"Decent work and economic growth","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/8"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Managing":[0],"disruptions":[1],"in":[2,31,65,80,121],"railway":[3,103],"traffic":[4,11],"management":[5],"is":[6,139],"a":[7,90,96],"major":[8],"challenge.":[9],"Rising":[10],"density":[12],"and":[13,22,30,76,114,125,133,149,165,171,189],"infrastructure":[14],"limits":[15],"increase":[16],"complexity,":[17],"making":[18],"the":[19,51,127,142,176],"Vehicle":[20],"Routing":[21],"Scheduling":[23],"Problem":[24],"(VRSP)":[25],"difficult":[26],"to":[27,50,78,101,119,155],"solve":[28],"reliably":[29],"real":[32],"time.":[33],"While":[34],"Operational":[35],"Research":[36],"(OR)":[37],"methods":[38,75],"are":[39],"widely":[40],"used,":[41],"most":[42],"dispatching":[43,108],"still":[44],"relies":[45],"on":[46,141],"human":[47],"expertise":[48],"due":[49],"problem's":[52],"exponential":[53],"combinatorial":[54],"complexity.":[55],"Reinforcement":[56],"Learning":[57],"(RL)":[58],"has":[59],"gained":[60],"attention":[61],"for":[62],"its":[63],"potential":[64],"multi-agent":[66],"coordination,":[67,162],"but":[68],"existing":[69],"RL":[70,98],"approaches":[71],"often":[72],"underperform":[73],"OR":[74],"struggle":[77],"scale":[79],"dense":[81],"rail":[82],"networks.":[83],"This":[84],"paper":[85],"addresses":[86],"this":[87],"gap":[88],"from":[89,109],"machine":[91],"learning":[92],"perspective":[93],"by":[94],"introducing":[95],"semi-hierarchical":[97],"formulation":[99],"tailored":[100],"operational":[102],"constraints.":[104],"The":[105,137],"method":[106],"separates":[107],"routing":[110,135],"through":[111],"dedicated":[112],"action":[113],"observation":[115],"spaces,":[116],"enabling":[117],"policies":[118],"specialise":[120],"distinct":[122],"decision":[123],"scopes":[124],"addressing":[126],"imbalance":[128],"between":[129],"rare":[130],"dispatch":[131],"decisions":[132],"frequent":[134],"updates.":[136],"approach":[138],"evaluated":[140],"Flatland-RL":[143],"simulator":[144],"across":[145],"five":[146],"difficulty":[147],"levels":[148],"50":[150],"random":[151],"seeds,":[152],"with":[153,168],"7":[154],"80":[156],"trains.":[157],"Results":[158],"show":[159],"substantially":[160],"improved":[161],"resource":[163],"utilisation,":[164],"robustness":[166],"compared":[167],"heuristic":[169],"baselines":[170],"monolithic":[172],"RL,":[173],"nearly":[174],"doubling":[175],"number":[177],"of":[178],"trains":[179,195],"reaching":[180],"their":[181],"destinations,":[182],"while":[183],"keeping":[184],"deadlock":[185],"rates":[186],"below":[187],"5%":[188],"adaptively":[190],"sequencing,":[191],"delaying,":[192],"or":[193],"cancelling":[194],"under":[196],"heavy":[197],"congestion.":[198]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00"}