Quantum optimization boosts rail scheduling with Q-CTRL and IBM

As organizations explore quantum’s potential, real demonstrations of business-relevant performance are becoming critical. One of the clearest examples comes from our collaboration with Network Rail, showing how quantum optimization can reshape complex scheduling challenges. Using Q-CTRL’s Fire Opal on IBM Quantum hardware, the team demonstrated: → A 6X expansion in solvable problem scale. → Successfully routed 26 trains passing through London Bridge station (a major rail hub in London, UK) over an 18-minute period. → A pathway to accelerate quantum-enhanced scheduling by up to 3 years This work demonstrates how Fire Opal’s noise-aware optimization solver can help teams push beyond hardware limitations and solve more meaningful problems today. If you’re working on quantum optimization, logistics, or real-world scheduling problems, IBM is currently offering free access to Qiskit Functions on its Premium Plan. Take up Q-Ctrl’s Qiskit Functions and see how it can simplify your Qiskit workflow and get high-fidelity results. Read the full case study: https://buff.ly/gkOdY6d Request access to Fire Opal Qiskit Functions: https://buff.ly/K2n1GjC