Master's thesis; Deep Reinforcement Learning for Resource Scheduling in Railway Operations with Explainable AI
4 days ago
We are looking for a dedicated master's student to join us in the Systems Engineering Unit at RISE.
The Systems Engineering Unit is part of RISE Mobility and Systems, focusing on Resource Optimization and System of Systems. The unit conducts projects together with industry and academia nationally and internationally. The research focus for the proposed thesis topics is within Resource Optimization and Decision support.
Background
Transportation systems need continuous development to meet future demands for sustainable transport. Expectations on these systems are constantly increasing regarding reliability, predictability, transparency, and efficiency. The railway sector has many strengths but also faces significant challenges in resource planning. Real-time traffic management and dispatch must account for delays, maintenance windows, and the limited availability of critical operational resources including rolling stock, crews, depots and network capacity.
Reinforcement Learning (RL) is an emerging AI method where agents learn to make decisions through interaction with their environment. In this project, you will explore how Deep RL techniques can be applied to railway engine scheduling in a dynamic, constraint-based setting. In particular, the work will also focus on Explainable AI (XAI) enabling stakeholders to better understand and trust AI-based decisions.
Description
We are offering a master's thesis aimed at enhancing railway traffic management and resource allocation using AI.
The purpose of this thesis is to explore alternative DRL algorithms and evaluate how well they perform on the same planning task using existing custom-built simulation environment. The project also aims to investigate how Explainable AI (XAI) methods can help visualize and interpret the agent's decisions making them more transparent and trustworthy to domain users.
Qualifications
We expect you to have a strong and solid knowledge of AI and machine learning, good programming skills in Python and an interest in solving complex problems. You are interested in deep reinforcement learning (DRL experience is helpful but not required) and in making AI systems more interpretable and user-friendly. Experience with data visualization or simulation is a plus.
Collaboration
You will be supervised by experienced AI researchers at RISE and work in collaboration with stakeholders in the Swedish railway sector. The thesis offers a unique opportunity to contribute to real-world planning challenges using cutting-edge AI methods.
Terms
Start Time: Preferable January or February
Scope: 30 hp.
Compensation: For an approved thesis project worth 30 credits, we pay a compensation of 39,990 SEK if one student and 30,000 SEK per student if more than one student.
Location: RISE Mobility and Systems, Västerås or Stockholm. Option to partially work remotely.
Welcome with your application
We welcome applications from students passionate about making a significant impact on the future of transportation systems. Please specify in your application which thesis opportunity you are interested in.
To know more, please contact Zohreh Ranjbar , Applications should include a CV, recent transcript of records, and a code excerpt (example of a code file written by you, or your GitHub repository link). Candidates are encouraged to send in their application as soon as possible but at the latest by the 1st of December. Suitable applicants will be interviewed as soon as applications are received.
Join us in shaping the future of railway resource planning through innovation and cutting-edge research
-
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden RISE Research Institutes of Sweden Full time 30,000 - 39,990 per yearWe are looking for a dedicated master's student to join us in the Systems Engineering Unit at RISE.The Systems Engineering Unit is part of RISE Mobility and Systems, focusing on Resource Optimization and System of Systems. The unit conducts projects together with industry and academia nationally and internationally. The research focus for the proposed thesis...
-
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden Knightec Group Full time 60,000 - 120,000 per yearHigh Level DescriptionThe electrification of heavy-duty transport is accelerating, and companies like Einride are leading the transition. However, operating large electric truck fleets presents new challenges in energy management. Truck charging requires massive amounts of power, and if unmanaged, it can lead to:- Very high electricity costs when charging...
-
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden ABB Full time 45,000 - 55,000 per yearAt ABB, we help industries outrun - leaner and cleaner. Here, progress is an expectation - for you, your team, and the world. As a global market leader, we'll give you what you need to make it happen. It won't always be easy, growing takes grit. But at ABB, you'll never run alone. Run what runs the world.This Position reports to:R&D Team...
-
Thesis Work
4 days ago
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden Westermo Full time 40,000 - 60,000 per yearWelcome to a rapidly growing international company, thriving at the forefront of cutting edge technology. Westermo develops and manufactures advanced devices for industrial data communication, used in mission critical installations and harsh industrial environments. The very robust and secure communication networks built with our products provide a high...
-
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB Full time 100,000 - 133,000 per yearBackground Heat treatment is an important post-treatment process for cast metal components with the purpose of increasing their mechanical properties. After casting, the components are placed in a heat treatment furnace, which is heated using either electrical heaters or gas burners. The components are held at elevated temperatures for a prescribed amount of...
-
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden ABB Full time 40,000 - 60,000 per yearAt ABB, we help industries outrun - leaner and cleaner. Here, progress is an expectation - for you, your team, and the world. As a global market leader, we'll give you what you need to make it happen. It won't always be easy, growing takes grit. But at ABB, you'll never run alone. Run what runs the world.This Position reports to:R&D Team Lead This thesis...
-
Thesis Work
4 days ago
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden ABB Full time 250,000 - 350,000 per yearAt ABB, we help industries outrun - leaner and cleaner. Here, progress is an expectation - for you, your team, and the world. As a global market leader, we'll give you what you need to make it happen. It won't always be easy, growing takes grit. But at ABB, you'll never run alone. Run what runs the world.This Position reports to:R&D Team Lead In recent...
-
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden ABB Full time 600,000 - 750,000 per yearAt ABB, we help industries outrun - leaner and cleaner. Here, progress is an expectation - for you, your team, and the world. As a global market leader, we'll give you what you need to make it happen. It won't always be easy, growing takes grit. But at ABB, you'll never run alone. Run what runs the world.This Position reports to:R&D Team...
-
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden Mind Friend PRO Full time 30,000 - 60,000 per yearLocation: Stockholm (remote-first to start) Commitment: 3-month internship, with transition to a full-time role upon successful completion Languages: Swedish + English requiredWe are expanding our operations to Stockholm and are looking for an ambitious, adaptable, and fast-learning individual to join our team. This is a 360° internship designed for someone...
-
Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden Mind Friend PRO Full time 20,000 - 60,000 per yearLocation: Stockholm (remote-first to start)Commitment: 3-month unpaid internship, with a guaranteed transition to a paid role upon successful completionLanguages: Swedish + English requiredWe are expanding our operations to Stockholm and are looking for an ambitious, adaptable, and fast-learning individual to join our team. This is a 360° internship...
