[en] Nowadays one of the main priorities for metro line operators is the reduction of energy consumption, due to the environmental impact and economic cost. In order to achieve this objective different strategies can be applied, normally focused into rolling stock, infrastructure and/or operation. Considering short-term measures and related to the traffic operation strategies, different approaches are being researched. One of the most effective strategy which reduce net energy consumption is the use of efficient driving techniques. These techniques produces a speed profile between two stations that requires the minimum net energy consumption, without degrading commercial running times or passenger comfort. In this paper, a computer model for calculating the metro vehicles speed profiles minimizing the energy consumption was developed. The equations considered in the model represent the behavior of a single vehicle operated under manual driving, subject to different constraints such as the headway, cycle time, distances and acceleration limits. The proposed model calculates different commands to be systematically executed by the driver. The resulting simulator has been tuned by means of on board measurements of speed, accelerations and energy consumption obtained along different lines in Metro de Valencia network. For this purpose, different scenarios are analyzed to assess the achievable energy savings. In general terms and comparing with the actual energy consumption, the solutions proposed can reduce the net energy consumption around 19%. (Author)

[en] This paper presents a driving simulator to be used by train drivers for training their driving skills in terms of energy-efficiency. In railway operations, previous experiences have shown differences in energy consumption up to 20 % among train drivers for the same journey in similar operational conditions. This shows great saving potentials in both economic and environmental terms. For this reason, railway companies wishing to become more efficient must encourage their train drivers to balance the energy consumption towards the minimum threshold. In this sense, driving simulators are a good complement for training courses on energy-saving best practices given to train drivers, where they can put into practice the learned contents. The developed driving simulator consists in an Excel spreadsheet including an accurate energy consumption model, which was previously developed from real measurements on different train services. The fact of being an Excel spreadsheet provides a familiar interface to train drivers, making easier its use, and becomes an affordable tool for small and medium size freight private railway companies. Furthermore, the fact of being a non-real-time simulation makes possible to perform a journey of several hours in a few minutes, thus being able to test different driving strategies for the same train journey in a short time period. In this paper, the driving simulator was applied to the Valencia-Cuenca-Aranjuez railway line operated by Renfe Operadora with Diesel Multiple Units. The results are given in terms of fuel consumption, costs of fuel and CO2 emissions and enable train drivers to find by themselves the most efficient way to drive the train between two stations. Finally, this driving simulator may serve as the basis for training and evaluating train drivers in order to set up a bonus/penalty policy for rewarding the most efficient train drivers and achieve an overall energy consumption reduction. (Author)