Work out rail capacity (trains per hour) instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Theoretical capacity is 3,600 divided by the technical headway, but no railway can be run at that level. Recovery time to absorb small delays and a penalty for mixed speeds (fast passenger behind slow freight) reduce it — UIC 406 guidance puts practical utilisation around 60-75% on mixed lines.
Practical capacity
practical headway = technical headway x (1 + recovery) x (1 + heterogeneity); tph = 3600 / practical headway
Rail results are planning estimates only. Verify against the infrastructure manager's rule book, approved braking curves and applicable railway safety regulations.
A slow train ahead of a fast one consumes the path of both, since the fast train cannot close up. Homogeneous timetables carry far more trains.
UIC 406 suggests around 75% in the peak and 60% over the day for mixed traffic; beyond that, delays no longer recover between trains.