Nikola Obrenovic research projects

This page reports only the academic work registered in the databases of the Transport and Mobility Laboratory, and is not necessarily a comprehensive list of the work by Nikola Obrenovic.

More information may be available here

Network Design for SBB Cargo

Sponsor: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)

Team: Michel Bierlaire (PI), Nikola Obrenovic (PM), Virginie Lurkin (PM)

Period: September 01, 2017-August 31, 2018

This project aims at developing an algorithm for the overall design of SBB cargo’s network of bundling points. SBB Cargo operates a network of 2 marshaling yards, 65 shunting yards and about 350 of small bundling points. The operation as such is costly and the network might contain redundant bundling points. The overall interest of SBB Cargo is to minimize the operating cost of their network and to compare its performance to a better network, completely designed from scratch. The resulting framework is then planned to be used to improve the current network of SBB cargo and its future development. The main research challenge of this project is to incorporate the SBB Cargo needs into one model while taking into account the specifics of the railway network and its operation. The researchers from the Transport and Mobility Laboratory (TRANSP-OR) will develop a heuristic algorithm that gives as an output a complete network design based on the inputs (cargo demand, capacity, types and costs of different bundling points). The algorithm can be further adjusted by entering the already existing bundling points. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm will be tested thorough comparison with existing solutions. TRANSP-OR, led by prof. Michel Bierlaire, has a track record of successful projects of solving highly complex problems arising in industrial sector. This one-year project is sponsored by SBB-CFF-FFS.

TRANS-FORM: Smart transfers through unravelling urban form and travel flow dynamics

Sponsor: The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC)

Team: Michel Bierlaire (PI), Shadi Sharif Azadeh (PM), Riccardo Scarinci (PM), Yuki Oyama (PM), Nicholas Molyneaux, Nikola Obrenovic

Period: March 03, 2016-March 03, 2019

TRANS-FORM, a cooperation between universities, industrial partners, public authorities and private operators, will develop, implement and test a data driven decision making tool that will support smart planning, and proactive and adaptive operations. The objective of the project is to better understand transferring dynamics in multi-modal public transport systems and develop insights, strategies and methods to support decision makers in transforming public transport usage to a seamless travel experience by using smart data. The tool will integrate new concepts and methods of behavioral modelling, passenger flow forecasting and network state predictions into real-time operations. TRANS-FORM is funded under the European Commission Horizon 2020 ERA-NET program.