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S N Maitra
Flat 303, Elite Galaxy A Train Journey between Two Terminating Stations
Ramnagar Colony
NDA-Pashan Road, Bavdhan
Pune 411 021, India A train undertakes a journey between two termi-
Email:
nating stations with a given distance apart and
soumen_maitra@yahoo.co.in
halts at some intermediate stations. It travels
between two consecutive intermediate stations
of this kind with uniform acceleration, uniform
velocity and then with uniform retardation. Ne-
glecting the air resistance, the optimization prob-
lem herein is to ¯nd the optimal distances of
these intermediate stations so as to minimize the
total time of travel by the train, given the dura-
tions of uniform velocity.
1. Formulation of the Problem
Let a train undertake a journey between two terminating
stations A1 and An+1 , a distance S apart. It starts from
rest from station A1 with uniform acceleration f1 and
stops at the next station A2 for some time. The train
stops at each intermediate station for sometime. In be-
tween any two consecutive intermediate stations, say, Ai
and Ai+1 it begins to travel with uniform acceleration fi
Keywords from rest and attains a certain speed vi after sometime.
Optimization, Lagrange multipli- Thereafter it maintains this speed for some time ¿i and
ers. applies a brake generating uniform retardation fi to stop

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Figure 1.

at the next station Ai+1 . The problem is to determine

the optimum distances of the intermediate stations for
given values of ¿i , S; fi (denoting acceleration) and fi0
(denoting retardation) so that the train completes the
total journey in minimum time, excluding the haltage
times at those stations (vide Figure 1).
2. Solution to the Problem
Let si be the distance travelled by the train in time
ti between the ith and (i + 1)th intermediate stations
during which it attains a maximum velocity vi . Then
we get µ ¶
1 1
ti = vi + + ¿i ; (1)
f1 f10
µ ¶
vi2 1 1
si = + + vi ¿i : (2)
2 f1 f10

The total time of travel and distance between two ter-

minating stations are given by summing (1) and (2) over
i. n ½ µ ¶ ¾
X 1 1
n
T = §i=1 ti = vi + 0 + ¿i ; (3)
i=1
fi f i

n
X
S= si : (4)
i=1

Since the distance between the terminating stations is

¯xed, we have to minimize T subject to the constraint
(4) with respect to vi . This will give us the optimum
values of vi from which we shall get optimum values of
si . Using Lagrange's multiplier ¸ for this, one gets
n
à n
!
X X
F (si ) = T +¸S ¤ = (vi ai +¿i )+¸ S ¡ si ; (5)
i=1 i=1

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where n
1 1 X
¤
ai = + 0 ; S =S¡ si : (6)
fi fi i=1

Solving the quadratic equation (2) for vi and substitut-

ing in (3), (4) and (5) followed by use of (6), we get
µ q ¶
1
vi = ¡¿i + ¿i2 + 2si ai ; (7)
ai
n ½q
X ¾
T = ¿i2 + 2si ai ; (8)
i=1

(discarding the negative value of vi ). Therefore

n µq ¶ Ã n
!
X X
F (si ) = ¿i2 + 2si ai + ¸ S ¡ si : (9)
i=1 i=1

For minimum value of T subject to the constraint (4),

@F (si ) ai
=p 2 ¡ ¸ = 0; (i = 1; 2; 3; : : :) :
@si ¿i + 2si ai
(10)
That is,
a2i
¿i2 + 2si ai = ;
¸2
or,
a1 ¿i2
2si = ¡ : (11)
¸2 ai
Summing over i = 1; 2; 3; : : : n, using (4), equation (11)
gives
n n
1 X X ¿i2
2S = 2 ai ¡
¸ i=1 a
i=1 i
or, " #Á n
Xn X
1 2
= 2S + ¿i =a i ai : (12)
¸2 i=1 i=1

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Substituting this in (11) we have the optimum distance

between the ith and (i + 1)th stations as
" ( n
)# Á n
1 X ¿i2 X ¿2
(si )opt = ai S + ai ¡ i : (13)
2 i=1 ai i=1
2ai

Likewise the other two optimum parameters are obtained

using (2), (6), (7), (1) and (13):
v ( )
u n .Xn
u 1 X ¿ 2
t
(ti )opt = ai 2 S + i
ai ; (14)
2 i=1 ai i=1

v ( )
u n .Xn
¡¿i u 1 X ¿ 2
(vi )opt = t
+ 2 S+ i
ai : (15)
ai 2 i=1 ai i=1

Finally summation of (14) yields the minimum time of

travel by the train excluding the haltage times, from rest
to rest between the two terminuses
2 v u( ) n 3
X n u Xn 2 X
4ai t 2S + ¿i
Tmin = / ai 5
i=1 i=1
a i i=1
"Ã n ! Ã n
!# 1=2
X X ¿i2
= ai 2S + : (16)
i=1 i=1 i
a

P
Examining (13), summation (si )opt obviously becomes
S. Equations (13) and (14) give the optimum time of
reaching the (i + 1)th intermediate station and its dis-
tance as
2 (Ã ! )1=2 3
X j
Xj
Xn
¿i2 . Xn
Tj = (ti )opt = 4ai 2S + ai 5
i=1 i=1 i=1
a i i=1

" Ã ! # (17)
X j
1
n
X ¿i2 .X
n
¿i2
Sj = ai S+ ai ¡ : (18)
i=1
2 i=1
ai i=1
2ai

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The foregoing equations (13) to (16) can be rewritten as

1 © 2 ª
(si )opt = (ti )opt ¡ ¿i2 ; (19)
2ai
.X
n
(ti )opt = (ai )Tmin ai ; (20)
i=1

1
(vi )opt = f(ti )opt ¡ ¿i g ; (21)
ai
vÃ
u n !Ã n
!
u X X ¿ 2
Tmin =t ai 2S + i
: (22)
i=1 i=1
a i

To corroborate the kinematics developed, we present a

numerical example here.
3. Numerical Example
Let the train commute between two terminating sta-
tions A1 and A5, which are 250 km apart with three
intermediate stations A2 , A3 , A4 so that S = 250 km,
n = 3 + 1 = 4, and also let us take ¿1 = 4 minutes
1 1
= 15 hr, ¿2 = 6 minutes = 10 hr, ¿3 = 8 minutes
2
= 15 hr, ¿4 = 10 minutes = 16 hr, as durations of `uni-
form speeds'. Let the uniform accelerations be f1 = 80
km/hr2, f2 = 120 km/hr2, f3 = 160 km/hr2, f4 = 200
km/hr2, and the uniform decelerations (retardations) be
f10 = 400 km/hr2 , f20 = 480 km/hr2 , f30 = 600 km/hr2,
f40 = 640 km/hr2 . Then, using the ¯rst part of relation
(6) we get
µ ¶
1 1 1 1 3 3
a1 = + = £ = (km=hr)¡1
4 20 100 4 50 200
µ ¶
1 1 1 1 1 1
a2 = + = £ =
4 30 120 4 24 96
µ ¶
1 1 1 1 19 19
a3 = + = £ =
4 40 150 4 600 2400
µ ¶
1 1 1 1 21 21
a4 = + = £ = (23)
4 50 160 4 800 3201

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Using (22), the minimum time Tmin of travel is

" (µ ¶ µ ¶2
2
1 3 1
Tmin = 2 £ 250 + 4 £ + £ 24
15 50 10
µ¶ ¶2 µ µ ¶ ¶ µ µ ¶ ¶2 µ µ ¶)#
1 600 2 800
+ £ + £
6 19 15 21
·
·1 µ µµ ¶¸
¶¸1=2
3 1 19 21 ¶¸
£ + + +
4 50 24 600 800
µ ¶¶
1=2
383
= 507:5 £ = 4:49 ' 4:5 hr (24)
2400 £ 4
which in consequence of (20) gives the time of journey
between two consecutive stations:
(a1 Tmin ) 1 3 4 £ 2400
(t1 )opt = P = £ £ (4:5) £
ai 4 50 383
= 1:692 hr = 1 hr 41 mt 32 secs ;
1 1 9 4 £ 2400
(t2 )opt = £ £ £ = 1:175 hr
4 24 2 383
= 1 hr 10 mts 32 secs ;
600 9 4 £ 2400
(t3 )opt = £ £ = 0:893
4 £ 19 2 383
= 53 mts 32 secs ;
1 800 9 4 £ 2400
(t4 )opt = £ £ £ = 0:740
4 21 2 383
= 44 mts 26 secs :

The optimum distances between two consecutive sta-

tions required to minimize the total time of travel are
given by (using (19))
( µ ¶2 )
1 4 £ 50 1 285:84
(s1 )opt = £ (1:692)2 ¡ =
2 3 15 3
= 95:22 km ;
½ µ 2¶¾
1 2 1
(s2 )opt = £ 4 £ 24 (1:175) ¡
2 10
= 66:27 km ;

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( µ ¶2 )
1 4 £ 600 2
(s3 )opt = £ (0:893)2 ¡
2 19 15
= 49:11 km;
( µ ¶2 )
1 4 £ 800 1
(s4 )opt = £ (0:740)2 ¡
2 21 6
= 39:40 km :
The maximum speeds reached in between two consecu-
tive stations are obtained from (21) as
µ ¶
200 1
v1 = 1:692 ¡ = 108:35 km=hr;
3 15
v2 = 96 (1:175 ¡ 0:1) = 103:35 km=hr;
µ ¶
2400 2
v3 = 0:893 ¡ = 95:95 km=hr;
21 15
µ ¶
3200 1
v4 = 0:740 ¡ = 87:38 km=hr:
21 6
It is observed that the train runs with an average speed
of 250=4:5 = 55:56 km/hr. Note that while calculating
si and ti (i = 1; 2; 3; 4), fractions are rounded o® so as to
¯nd their summations as 250 km and 4.5 hr respectively.
So, we ¯nd that to obtain minimum time of travel be-
tween two terminal stations 250 km apart, the optimum
distances of the intermediate stations are 95.22, 161.49
and 210.60 km respectively.
4. Discussion
If the air resistance [1] proportional to the velocity or
square of the velocity is taken into consideration, in or-
der to travel with uniform velocity for sometime, the
force exerted by the engine must be equal to the air
resistance and rail friction. Hence a relevant model of
train travel with air resistance against its motion in con-
formity with the present feature can be prepared and
solved. Relation (13) reveals that the optimal spacings
of the intermediate stations, (si )opt , are not equal but

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dependent on ai (i.e., the uniform acceleration and the

uniform retardation) and also duration ¿i of uniform mo-
tion but will be equal for equal values of ai and of ¿i .
It would be of interest to speculate about a somewhat
di®erent model by replacing uniform acceleration fi by
uniform horse power in the present problem.
In the present investigation, a question may arise as to
what will be the speed of the train sighted at a distance,
say, S0 from the originating station A1 or vice-versa. Its
answer is as follows; vide Figure 2.
If the train has already crossed p intermediate stations,
in the above position, then
p
X
S0 = si + s0 ; (25)
i=1

where s0 is the distance of the train from the intermedi-

ate station p on acquiring the velocity v0 ; vp being the
maximum velocity between Ap and Ap+1 .
Case 1. If
vp2
0 < s0 < ; then v0 = (2fps0 )1=2 : (26)
2fp

Case 2. If
vp2 vp2
< s0 < + vp ¿p ; then v0 = vp : (27)
2fp 2fp

Case 3. If
vp2 vp2 vp2
+ vp ¿p < s0 < + vp ¿p + 0 ; then
2fp 2fp 2fp

Figure 2.

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 CLASSROOM

=
µ ¶¸1=2
vp2 vp2
v0 = 2fp0 + vp ¿p + 0 ¡ s0 : (28)
2fp 2fp

Suppose one wishes to ¯nd the velocity after some time,

say T0, given by
p
X
T0 = ti + t0 : (29)
i=1

This suggests replacement of s0 by 12 fp t20 . Then

vp
v0 = fp t0 when 0 < t0 < ;
fp
vp vp
v0 = vp when + ¿ p > t0 > ;
fp fp
µ ¶
vp vp
v0 = + + ¿p ¡ t0 fp0
fp fp0
vp vp vp
when + ¿p < t0 < + + ¿p :
fp fp fp0

Suggested Reading

[1] S N Maitra, Minimum Time of Travel, Resonance, Vol. 7, No.7, pp.80–

83, 2002.
[2] G C Sharma and M Ray, A textbook on Dynamics for BA/BSc students,
S Chand and Co. Ltd., New Delhi, pp.45–47, 2000.

386 RESONANCE  April 2012