Mark: you mentioned "penalties for not sticking to the timetable paths". Well, suppose there is a delay for some reason, e.g bridge strike, and as a result trains are out of place. The optimal solution might well be to improvise, use a bit of initiative and run some trains out of the timetabled sequence. The dumb thin might be to stick rigidly to the timetabled pathing sequence. Could the creative option be penalised?
I hope they are aware of the law of unintended consequences.
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