SUBURBAN ELECTRIC TRAINS: PROBLEM OF OPTIMIZING FARE COLLECTION

Abstract

The production system that performs passenger transportations by suburban electric trains represented by
the Suburban Passenger Companies is oriented towards achievement of social effect of supplying services to the
population. The design of organization of line passenger control on suburban routes is considered from the position
of the principles of logistics concepts and systematic approach. The paper concentrates on the issue of determining
a required number of inspectors. Based on working conditions of the brigades of supervisors the restrictions
requiring recording when creating the control service in companies are identified. The following features
of the organization of linear control: at different times there are different timetables of trains,

which are tailored to the needs of passenger trips in the transport node and the adjacent territory; speed trains
are fixed and are not regulated by the control service; level of passenger traffic, in every line, for each electric
train are individual; counter flows of passengers in the lines of transportation have different characteristics of
their description within the same time frame intervals; decisions on moving inspectors to electric trains on the
routes are taken in the center for management of control activities on the basis of operational forecasts. The
given in the article example has enabled the authors to make a calculation of indicators taking into account
constraints according to criteria: ability to provide a specified level of collecting fees for train; total losses of
the company, arising from the shortage of fares and payment for work of supervisors; performance of line supervisors,
i.e., the impact of funds allocated for their work on the line. The given graphic dependence of influence
of marginal income on the change of costs while increasing the number of inspectors enabled to formulate
the procedure for optimization of linear control in a specific context. The consideration of options for
the formulation of objectives of the linear control leads to the conclusion that the suburban bus companies are
the most interested party for organization of suburban passenger transport and, therefore, should solve the
problem of the organization of the work of the linear control service by choosing the criterion between maximizing
profits or minimize losses.