Swanage Railway cut volunteer workload 26.7% with crew-rostering optimization

Heritage railways depend on volunteers, but they are scheduled with the same rigid shift logic as paid railways, on a much smaller scale and with far higher turnover risk. Swanage Railway, a premier UK heritage line, had no evidence that math-based tools could help — this was among the first studies to test it.

The team co-developed optimization models for workforce allocation that explicitly integrate volunteers into the roster. The models balance work across staff while preserving the flexibility volunteers need.

The measured results: four hours of weekly overtime eliminated for some employees during emergencies; a 26.7% workload reduction for existing employees when volunteers were integrated efficiently; and a potential 35% cut in staffing costs if paid staff were on an hourly rather than fixed-salary system.