Freight railway cars flow handling investigation at freight railway station of a metallurgical enterprise

The article deals with solving an important and relevant problem of enhancing the efficiency of serving production shops by a freight railway station at a large-scale metallurgical enterprise. The process of handling freight railway cars flow at a freight railway station was considered. The main functions of the station, as well as its relations to production shops were identified. The main factors influencing the idle time of freight railway cars, which they spend waiting for loading and transport operations, as well as rolling stock turnout were determined. With the purpose of time factors identification of the railway station operation a graphic model of the handling process (including empty rolling stock arriving, loading, and loaded freight cars departure to the external railway network) was designed. Basing on the results of the research it was determined that the transport operations influence most on the idle time of freight railway cars at the freight railway stations. Analysis shows that operation efficiency of a freight railway station of a metallurgical enterprise depends on proper organization of mutual interaction between transport and freight complexes within the dynamic process of incoming and outcoming freight railway cars flow handling. Obtained data make the basis for further investigation within the framework of solving the problem of enhancing the efficiency of freight railway station operation