> I do a lot of work with the rail industry in the UK (both heavy and light rail) - but the UK is much more passenger focussed. Same in France - allocating fr

> I do a lot of work with the rail industry in the UK (both heavy and light rail) - but the UK is much more passenger focussed. Same in France - allocating freight capacity in a passenger-focused network is tricky. A paper about that (https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01317522/file/TH2015PESC1145_complete.pdf https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01317522/file/TH2015PES...) - in French but with abstract in English: "Train timetabling on a rail network is a complex task. In Europe, this issue lies within a process for which the infrastructure manager has to consider competing uses – passenger and freight trains as well as maintenance work – and several users of a scarce resource, infrastructure capacity. The aim of this research is to better understand the way this process is organised and works on the French rail network. We have chosen to tackle this issue focusing on freight as an activity which has been opened up to competition since 2006 but has experienced structural difficulties since the 1980s. The various time aspects of the capacity allocation process are the key focus of our analysis. Our approach considers the perspectives of the infrastructure manager and of their customers, foremost among which are train operating companies. We highlight that freight occupies a unique place in this process which is based on a schedule resulting from both European regulations and the legacy of decisions taken at the national level. The issue of the quality of the train paths offered by the infrastructure manager is studied with a focus on the links between short and long term requirements with regard to the train running deadline. In spite of their diversity, we demontsrate that freight operators need flexibility and visibility. Finally, we analyse catalogue paths as a specific offer that aims to guarantee capacity for freight. The German method, through the neXt project, provides an alternative insight into this issue. Accommodating freight train paths into the timetable is essentially a necessary but delicate balance of interests : standardisation vs. customisation."