diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
index c17efe7d..0058e027 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReader.java
@@ -214,9 +214,61 @@ public class VrpXMLReader{
 		readShipments(xmlConfig);
 		readServices(xmlConfig);
 		
+		readInitialRoutes(xmlConfig);
 		readSolutions(xmlConfig);
 	}
 
+	private void readInitialRoutes(XMLConfiguration xmlConfig) {
+		List<HierarchicalConfiguration> initialRouteConfigs = xmlConfig.configurationsAt("initialRoutes.route");
+		for(HierarchicalConfiguration routeConfig : initialRouteConfigs){
+			Driver driver = DriverImpl.noDriver();
+			String vehicleId = routeConfig.getString("vehicleId");
+			Vehicle vehicle = getVehicle(vehicleId);
+			if(vehicle == null) throw new IllegalStateException("vehicle is missing.");
+			String start = routeConfig.getString("start");
+			if(start == null) throw new IllegalStateException("route start-time is missing.");
+			double departureTime = Double.parseDouble(start);
+			
+			VehicleRoute.Builder routeBuilder = VehicleRoute.Builder.newInstance(vehicle, driver);
+			routeBuilder.setDepartureTime(departureTime);
+			
+			List<HierarchicalConfiguration> actConfigs = routeConfig.configurationsAt("act");
+			for(HierarchicalConfiguration actConfig : actConfigs){
+				String type = actConfig.getString("[@type]");
+				if(type == null) throw new IllegalStateException("act[@type] is missing.");
+				double arrTime = 0.;
+				double endTime = 0.;
+				String arrTimeS = actConfig.getString("arrTime");
+				if(arrTimeS!=null) arrTime=Double.parseDouble(arrTimeS);
+				String endTimeS = actConfig.getString("endTime");
+				if(endTimeS!=null) endTime=Double.parseDouble(endTimeS);
+				
+				String serviceId = actConfig.getString("serviceId");
+				if(serviceId != null) {
+					Service service = getService(serviceId);
+					//!!!
+
+					routeBuilder.addService(service, arrTime, endTime);
+				}
+				else{
+					String shipmentId = actConfig.getString("shipmentId");
+					if(shipmentId == null) throw new IllegalStateException("either serviceId or shipmentId is missing");
+					Shipment shipment = getShipment(shipmentId);
+					if(shipment == null) throw new IllegalStateException("shipment with id " + shipmentId + " does not exist.");
+					if(type.equals("pickupShipment")){
+						routeBuilder.addPickup(shipment, arrTime, endTime);
+					}
+					else if(type.equals("deliverShipment")){
+						routeBuilder.addDelivery(shipment, arrTime, endTime);
+					}
+					else throw new IllegalStateException("type " + type + " is not supported. Use 'pickupShipment' or 'deliverShipment' here");
+				}
+			}
+			VehicleRoute route = routeBuilder.build();
+			vrpBuilder.addInitialVehicleRoute(route);
+		}
+		
+	}
 	private void readSolutions(XMLConfiguration vrpProblem) {
 		if(solutions == null) return;
 		List<HierarchicalConfiguration> solutionConfigs = vrpProblem.configurationsAt("solutions.solution");
@@ -246,13 +298,13 @@ public class VrpXMLReader{
 				for(HierarchicalConfiguration actConfig : actConfigs){
 					String type = actConfig.getString("[@type]");
 					if(type == null) throw new IllegalStateException("act[@type] is missing.");
-					
+					double arrTime = 0.;
+					double endTime = 0.;
 					String arrTimeS = actConfig.getString("arrTime");
-					if(arrTimeS == null) throw new IllegalStateException("act.arrTime is missing.");
+					if(arrTimeS!=null) arrTime=Double.parseDouble(arrTimeS);
 					String endTimeS = actConfig.getString("endTime");
-					if(endTimeS == null) throw new IllegalStateException("act.endTime is missing.");
-					double arrTime = Double.parseDouble(arrTimeS);
-					double endTime = Double.parseDouble(endTimeS);
+					if(endTimeS!=null) endTime=Double.parseDouble(endTimeS);
+					
 					String serviceId = actConfig.getString("serviceId");
 					if(serviceId != null) {
 						Service service = getService(serviceId);
@@ -270,8 +322,7 @@ public class VrpXMLReader{
 							routeBuilder.addDelivery(shipment, arrTime, endTime);
 						}
 						else throw new IllegalStateException("type " + type + " is not supported. Use 'pickupShipment' or 'deliverShipment' here");
-					}
-					
+					}	
 				}
 				routes.add(routeBuilder.build());
 			}
@@ -399,7 +450,7 @@ public class VrpXMLReader{
 			
 			Shipment shipment = builder.build();
 			vrpBuilder.addJob(shipment);
-			shipmentMap .put(shipment.getId(),shipment);
+			shipmentMap.put(shipment.getId(),shipment);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd b/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
index c687aa05..a4e126db 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/resources/vrp_xml_schema.xsd
@@ -219,6 +219,32 @@
 				</xs:complexType>
 			</xs:element>
 			
+			<xs:element name="initialRoutes" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
+				<xs:complexType>
+					<xs:sequence>
+						<xs:element name="route" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
+							<xs:complexType>
+						 		<xs:sequence>
+						 			<xs:element name="driverId" type="xs:string" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
+						 			<xs:element name="vehicleId" type="xs:string" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
+						 			<xs:element name="start" type="xs:double" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
+						 			<xs:element name="act" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
+						 				<xs:complexType>
+						 					<xs:choice>
+						 						<xs:group ref="serviceActGroup"/>
+						 						<xs:group ref="shipmentActGroup"/>			
+						 					</xs:choice>
+						 					<xs:attribute name="type" type="xs:string" use="required"/>
+						 				</xs:complexType>
+						 			</xs:element>
+						 			<xs:element name="end" type="xs:anySimpleType" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
+						 		</xs:sequence>
+						 	</xs:complexType>
+						 </xs:element>
+					</xs:sequence>
+				</xs:complexType>
+			</xs:element>
+						
 			<xs:element name="solutions" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
 				<xs:complexType>
 					<xs:sequence>
@@ -272,16 +298,16 @@
 <xs:group name="serviceActGroup">
 	<xs:sequence>
 		<xs:element name="serviceId" type="xs:string" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
-		<xs:element name="arrTime" type="xs:double" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
-		<xs:element name="endTime" type="xs:double" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
+		<xs:element name="arrTime" type="xs:double" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
+		<xs:element name="endTime" type="xs:double" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
 	</xs:sequence>	
 </xs:group>
 
 <xs:group name="shipmentActGroup">
 	<xs:sequence>
 		<xs:element name="shipmentId" type="xs:string" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
-		<xs:element name="arrTime" type="xs:double" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
-		<xs:element name="endTime" type="xs:double" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1"/>
+		<xs:element name="arrTime" type="xs:double" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
+		<xs:element name="endTime" type="xs:double" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
 	</xs:sequence>	
 </xs:group>
 
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/test/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReaderTest.java b/jsprit-core/src/test/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReaderTest.java
index 60099da9..d7a7010d 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/test/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReaderTest.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/test/java/jsprit/core/problem/io/VrpXMLReaderTest.java
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ public class VrpXMLReaderTest {
 	}
 	
 	@Test
-	public void whenReadingInitialRouteWithDepTime10_departureTimeOfRouteShouldBeReadCorrectly(){ //i.e. these jobs should not be part of the problem
+	public void whenReadingInitialRouteWithDepTime10_departureTimeOfRouteShouldBeReadCorrectly(){ 
 		VehicleRoutingProblem.Builder builder = VehicleRoutingProblem.Builder.newInstance();
 		new VrpXMLReader(builder).read("src/test/resources/finiteVrpWithInitialSolutionForReaderTest.xml");
 		VehicleRoutingProblem vrp = builder.build();
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ public class VrpXMLReaderTest {
 	}
 	
 	@Test
-	public void whenReadingInitialRoute_nuInitialRoutesShouldBeCorrect(){ //i.e. these jobs should not be part of the problem
+	public void whenReadingInitialRoute_nuInitialRoutesShouldBeCorrect(){ 
 		VehicleRoutingProblem.Builder builder = VehicleRoutingProblem.Builder.newInstance();
 		new VrpXMLReader(builder, null).read("src/test/resources/finiteVrpWithInitialSolutionForReaderTest.xml");
 		VehicleRoutingProblem vrp = builder.build();
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ public class VrpXMLReaderTest {
 	}
 	
 	@Test
-	public void whenReadingInitialRoute_nuActivitiesShouldBeCorrect(){ //i.e. these jobs should not be part of the problem
+	public void whenReadingInitialRoute_nuActivitiesShouldBeCorrect(){ 
 		VehicleRoutingProblem.Builder builder = VehicleRoutingProblem.Builder.newInstance();
 		new VrpXMLReader(builder, null).read("src/test/resources/finiteVrpWithInitialSolutionForReaderTest.xml");
 		VehicleRoutingProblem vrp = builder.build();