TRAFlike

TRAFlike is a modular open-source platform for modeling, simulating, and optimizing railway traffic flows. It provides a flexible toolkit for timetable generation, route assignment, rolling-stock allocation, and incident management. The project emphasizes interoperability, with data adapters for common formats and an extensible plugin system that allows operators and researchers to integrate signaling logic, passenger demand, and energy models.

In its architecture, TRAFlike comprises a core discrete-event simulation engine, a scenario editor, analytics modules, and a visualization layer. The core engine handles events such as train movements, signal states, platform occupancy, and route conflicts, while the analytics module offers metrics on capacity utilization, punctuality, energy use, and reliability.

Applications include network planning, timetable optimization, capacity analysis, and resilience studies. By enabling scenario comparison and sensitivity analysis, TRAFlike supports decision-making for transit agencies, consultants, and academia.

History: TRAFlike was initiated in 2022 by a coalition of transportation research institutes and open-source contributors. The first public release appeared in 2023, followed by successive updates that added real-time data integration and parallel processing. It is distributed under an open-source license and accepts community contributions through a public repository.

Reception: The platform has been used in pilot studies to assess timetable robustness and to explore energy-efficient operating strategies. It is often compared with other railway simulators for its emphasis on interoperability and extensibility.