Determination of fleet size of locomotives and of a policy to deadhead them are tactical issues that influence the level of customer service in a rail network. This paper considers a railroad system in which a priori freight train schedule does not exist. A simulation-based approach is proposed...

In many countries, freight trains have to share a rail network with passenger trains. In this paper, we consider a situation where passenger trains must adhere to a strict published schedule, whereas freight train movements can be inserted at any convenient time, without disrupting scheduled...

Public healthcare institutions in India continue to be the major source of healthcare in both rural and urban areas. This study has considered resource utilisation in the context of drug supplies to the public healthcare. Drug inventory management assessment tool (DIMAT) is developed to quantify...

In this paper, we consider the problem of cell-formation in cellular manufacturing systems with the objective of maximising the grouping efficacy. We propose an Ant-Colony Optimisation (ACO) algorithm to obtain machine-cells and part-families. The Proposed ACO (PACO) algorithm is tested by using...

Tourism represents a service industry replete with unique complexities since a tourist's overall experience is modulated by multiple stakeholders, e.g., immigration officials at airports, policy makers responsible for investment in transportation infrastructure and managers at various tourist...

Aviation authorities such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provide stringent guidelines for aircraft maintenance, with violations leading to significant penalties for airlines. Moreover, poorly maintained aircraft can lead to mass cancellation of flights, causing tremendous...

In this paper, we consider the problem of cell-formation in cellular manufacturing systems with the objective of maximising the grouping efficacy. We propose an Ant-Colony Optimisation (ACO) algorithm to obtain machine-cells and part-families. The Proposed ACO (PACO) algorithm is tested by using...