Off-board scheduling system and method for adjusting a movement plan of a transportation network

A method comprising:

• monitoring plural separate vehicles traveling in a transportation network according to a movement plan of the network using one or more processors, the separate vehicles including a yielding vehicle, a passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle, the movement plan directing the separate vehicles to move through the network according to schedules associated with the separate vehicles, the movement plan including an original meet event between the yielding vehicle and the passing vehicle of the separate vehicles, the original meet event including the yielding vehicle of the separate vehicles being scheduled to move from a main line track in the network to a connected siding section track in the network and the passing vehicle of the separate vehicles being scheduled to continue moving along the main line track to pass the yielding vehicle at an original time and an original location of the original meet event;
• determining a throughput parameter of the network using, the one or more processors, the throughput parameter representative of a statistical measure of adherence to the movement plan by the yielding vehicle, the passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle, the throughput parameter indicating how closely the yielding vehicle, the passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle are traveling through the network according to the schedules associated with the yielding vehicle, the passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle in the movement plan;
• determining a confidence parameter using the one or more processors, the confidence parameter representative of a probability that changing at least one of an original location or an original time of the original meet event does not reduce the throughput parameter of the yielding vehicle, the passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle traveling in the network;
• modifying at least one of the original location or the original time of the original meet event to at least one of an updated location or an updated time of an updated meet event when the confidence parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold using the one or more processors, the updated meet event including the yielding vehicle being scheduled to move from the main line track to the connected siding section track at one or more of the updated time or the updated location, and the passing vehicle being scheduled to continue moving along the main line track to pass the yielding vehicle at the one or more of the updated time or the updated location;
• and
• transmitting at least one of the updated location or the updated time to one or more of the yielding vehicle or the passing vehicle as at least one of the yielding vehicle or the passing vehicle is moving toward the location of the original meet event using the one or more processors.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for a system having one or more processors, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium including one or more sets of instructions that are configured to direct the one or more processors to:

• monitor plural separate vehicles traveling in the transportation network according to a movement plan of the network, the separate vehicles including a yielding vehicle, a passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle, the movement plan directing the separate vehicles to move through the network according to schedules associated with the separate vehicles, the movement plan including an original meet event between the yielding vehicle and the passing vehicle of the separate vehicles, the original meet event including the yielding vehicle of the separate vehicles being scheduled to move from a main line track in the network to a connected siding section track in the network and the passing vehicle of the separate vehicles being scheduled to continue moving along the main line track to pass the yielding vehicle at an original time and an original location of the original meet event;
• determine a throughput parameter of the network that is representative of a statistical measure of adherence to the movement plan by the yielding vehicle, the passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle, the throughput parameter indicating how closely the yielding vehicle, the passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle are traveling through the network according to the schedules associated with the yielding vehicle, the passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle in the movement plan;
• determine a confidence parameter representative of a probability that changing at least one of the original location or the original time of the original meet event does not reduce the throughput parameter of the yielding vehicle, the passing vehicle, and at least one other vehicle traveling in the network;
• modify at least one of the original location or the original time of the original meet event to at least one of an updated location or an updated time of an updated meet event when the confidence parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold, the updated meet event including the yielding vehicle being scheduled to move from the main line track to the connected siding section track at one or more of the updated time or the updated location, and the passing vehicle being scheduled to continue moving along the main line track to pass the yielding vehicle at the one or more of the updated time or the updated location;
• and
• transmit at least one of the updated location or the updated time to one or more of the yielding vehicle or the passing vehicle as at least one of the yielding vehicle or the passing vehicle is moving toward the location of the original meet event, for the one or more of the yielding vehicle or the passing vehicle to receive the at least one of the updated location or the updated time and change a speed of the yielding vehicle or the passing rail vehicle to arrive at the updated meet event.