A team from the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Informatics, Polish Academy of Sciences - IITiS PAN in collaboration with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is investigating how quantum technologies can support railway transport planning and scheduling in real-world conditions.

This research is being conducted as part of the project:

"Advanced Optimization for Reliable and Efficient Public Transport"

The project is co-financed from the state budget, allocated by the Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego as part of the Science for Society II programme. 

What have we achieved?
For the first time, it has been demonstrated that quantum computers can effectively solve train scheduling problems in a tram and rail network (Baltimore Light RailLink).
Instead of fighting quantum ‘noise’, researchers used its nature to model uncertainty and delays in real railway networks.
The research results published in Scientific Reports (Nature) achieved a high impact score – Altmetric 62 (97th percentile), confirming the importance of the topic.

 Paper: Nature Scientific Reports
 Video: Quantum on Track for Train Scheduling – UMBC
 More: UMBC News Story

 Why is this important?

In a classic system, any delay can trigger a domino effect – stopping traffic and generating costs. Quantum technologies pave the way for dynamic, resilient and intelligent planning, allowing for rapid response to changes in the transport network. This is a huge step towards hybrid optimisation systems (ILP, metaheuristics, QUBO, quantum algorithms), which in the future may increase the efficiency and reliability of public transport – both in cities and in long-distance transport.

We would like to thank all our partners and co-authors for their joint work on this pioneering initiative!
Obtaining funding for further development and implementation of the research will bring further measurable benefits to the local community.