Suburban electric trains: problem of optimizing fare collection

The production system that performs passenger transportations by suburban electric trains represented by the Suburban Passenger Companies is oriented towards achievement of social effect of supplying services to the population. The design of organization of line passenger control on suburban routes is considered from the position of the principles of logistics concepts and systematic approach. The paper concentrates on the issue of determining a required number of inspectors. Based on working conditions of the brigades of supervisors the restrictions requiring recording when creating the control service in companies are identified. The following features of the organization of linear control: at different times there are different timetables of trains, which are tailored to the needs of passenger trips in the transport node and the adjacent territory; speed trains are fixed and are not regulated by the control service; level of passenger traffic, in every line, for each electric train are individual; counter flows of passengers in the lines of transportation have different characteristics of their description within the same time frame intervals; decisions on moving inspectors to electric trains on the routes are taken in the center for management of control activities on the basis of operational forecasts. The given in the article example has enabled the authors to make a calculation of indicators taking into account constraints according to criteria: ability to provide a specified level of collecting fees for train; total losses of the company, arising from the shortage of fares and payment for work of supervisors; performance of line supervisors, i.e., the impact of funds allocated for their work on the line. The given graphic dependence of influence of marginal income on the change of costs while increasing the number of inspectors enabled to formulate the procedure for optimization of linear control in a specific context. The consideration of options for the formulation of objectives of the linear control leads to the conclusion that the suburban bus companies are the most interested party for organization of suburban passenger transport and, therefore, should solve the problem of the organization of the work of the linear control service by choosing the criterion between maximizing profits or minimize losses.