The effects of freight trains on the punctuality of passenger trains

In this report, we analyse the effects that freight trains, with slower average speeds, have on the timetable deviations of the passenger trains on a double track line with mixed traffic. In particular, we focus on the changes in the passenger trains’ time deviation from the train timetable when they are passing the freight trains. A method how to measure the time deviation around the passage is established. A case study is performed with data from 2022 for the double track line between Lund and Mjölby in southern Sweden. An important component is to study if the effects depend on the time deviation of the freight train, i.e., if the impact on the passenger train depends on if the freight train is operated on-time, before or after its timetable. The results show that in general, passages are more efficient when freight trains are before its timetable. Also, late passenger trains, on average, lose less time on the passage than passenger train that are on-time. The differences are small, but statistically significant. The results also show differences between stations and trains, and the report illustrate how to dig into the details of the results.