PuT vehicles: Vehicle units and vehicle combinations

In Visum, PuT vehicles such as buses, trams or intercity trains are modeled through the network objects vehicle unit and vehicle combination. Using these network objects, it is possible to change the composition of a vehicle journey en route (Network objects of the line hierarchy). This is how a train in the preceding and succeeding legs can run with fewer coaches than in the main leg. The second application case for PuT vehicles is in the operator model section. Indicators such as service kilometers can be evaluated on the level of vehicle combinations (Operator model PuT).

Each vehicle unit is allocated to one or more transport systems. It can only be used for vehicle journeys, lines or system routes, which belong to one of these transport systems. Furthermore, for each vehicle it is specified whether it is a railcar or not. In addition to the number of seats and the total capacity including also the standing capacity, cost rates can be entered per distance and time unit, for vehicle journeys and empty trips separately. This data is determined within the scope of the operator model for evaluations.

Vehicle units are combined to vehicle combinations. A vehicle combination thus always comprises one or more vehicle units. The same vehicle unit can appear repeatedly in the vehicle combination. This is how a vehicle combination intercity train can be composed of a vehicle unit railcar and multiple vehicle units coaches, whereas for the railcar and the coaches different cost rates or capacities can be specified.

The set of permitted transport systems for a vehicle combination is determined as a mean of the permitted transport system sets of the respective vehicle units. If there is no transport system permitted for all associated vehicle units, these cannot be combined to a vehicle combination.

Also for vehicle combinations, separate distance and time related cost rates can be specified for vehicle journeys and empty trips. These take effect together with the cost rates of the respective vehicle units. Use these input possibilities therefore for such costs, which accumulate only once per vehicle combination. Typically, maintenance costs should be specified per vehicle unit, and personnel costs however, per vehicle combination.

Recurring activities are necessary to model the operation of vehicle combinations. An example of a recurring activity would be the charging of batteries in electric vehicles. However, you can also model regular maintenance or cleaning activities using recurring activities. To include recurring activities in line blocking, you must define them as user-defined block items (User Manual: Creating a user-defined block item). You define the temporal and spatial interval (range) for vehicle combinations (User Manual: Vehicle combinations: Ranges and charging tab). You also set the temporal function of the activity duration (charging) there. The charging function consists of a linear part, with an initial gradient, and an exponential part. You define the initial gradient of the charging function under the recurring activity. You define the transition to the exponential part for the vehicle combination.

Vehicle combinations can be assigned to entire lines or time profiles (this is then referred to as a standard vehicle combination) or to individual vehicle journey sections. This enables very detailed modeling of changes in train formations or also strongly disaggregated evaluations of PuT operator indicators, for example.

Note: Please note that subsequent modifications of standard vehicle combinations of a line or a vehicle profile do not overwrite the vehicle combinations of the existing vehicle journey sections.