Topic 1: Blocking

Blocking is determining vehicle schedules. Here are some examples:

1. Calculate cycle time:
   

   27	4	26	3
   60

   Running time from A to B	27 minutes
   Running time from B to A	26 minutes
   Running time total	53 minutes
   Layover at A	4 minutes
   Layover at B	3 minutes
   Total cycle time	60 minutes

2. Calculate number of vehicles required for running times, layover times, and headways:
   

   1	2	3	4
   1		2
   1

   If headway is 60 minutes,	1 vehicle is needed
   If headway is 30 minutes,	2 vehicles are needed
   If headway is 15 minutes,	4 vehicles are needed

3. Consider "inefficient" routes, where headways and cycle times don't match.
   

   Running time 63 minutes total

   Layover at A 4 minutes

   Layover at B 3 minutes

   Cycle time 70 minutes, but

   Headway is 60 minutes 1.167 vehicles

   Problem: Partial vehicles are not possible

   Solution 1: Increase layover to 57 minutes, requiring 2 vehicles (120 minutes, 60 minute headway)

   Solution 2: Increase headway to 35 minutes

Blocking is determining vehicle schedules. Here are some examples:

	7

4. Put the round trips together to make blocks of close to 8 hours.
5. Add a pull-out deadhead allowance at the beginning, say 15 minutes depending on how close the route is to the garage.
6. Add a pull-in deadhead allowance at the end, say 15 minutes.

7. Calculate efficiency: Platform time, time the operator is at the controls, is combined revenue and non-revenue time.

7.5	.5

• Revenue = say 7 hours 30 minutes
• Non-revenue = deadhead allowances = 30 minutes
• Efficiency is 7.5/8.0 = 93.75%, which would be pretty good!
• Creating efficient blocks lays the basis for efficient operator runs