| Title |
Understanding how train dispatchers manage and control trains : results of a cognitive analysis : human factors in railroad operations |
| Record ID |
13016 |
Personal Name
Creator |
Roth, Emilie M.; Malsch, Nicholas; Multer, Jordan |
Corporate
Contributor |
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center |
| Publisher |
Federal Railroad Administration (U.S. Department of Transportation)  |
| Publication Date |
20010500 |
| Abstract |
This report documents the results of a Cognitive Task Analysis that examined how experienced railroad dispatchers manage and schedule trains in todays environment. The objective was to understand the cognitive demands placed on railroad dispatchers and the strategies that experienced dispatchers have developed in response to those demands, as an input to guide development and design of digital communication systems and advanced information displays. A hybrid methodology was used that combined field observations at two railroad dispatch centers (one that primarily handles passenger trains and one that primarily handles freight trains) with structured interviews of experienced railroad dispatchers. The results reveal that dispatching is a cognitively demanding task. Dispatchers have developed a variety of strategies that smooth the way for trains to pass through territories safely and efficiently and satisfy the multiple demands placed on track use. These include techniques to off-load memory requirements, extract information about train movement and track activity to support anticipation and planning, take advantage of windows of opportunity to satisfy the multiple demands placed on track use, and level workload. Many of these strategies depend heavily on communication and coordination among individuals distributed across time and space. (97 p.) |
| TRT Terms |
Dispatchers ; Railroad trains ; Railroad tracks ; Railroad traffic control ; Human factors ; Cognition ; Task analysis ; Digital communication systems ; Decision making |
| General Subjects |
Railroad dispatchers; Track allocation; Train routing |
| Classification |
NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - RAIL TRANSPORTATION;
NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - Rail Safety |
Geographical
Coverage |
United States |
TRIS Online
Accession No |
00816444 |
| Report Number |
DOT/FRA/ORD-01/02
|
| Resource type |
Research Paper |
| URL |
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/13000/13000/13016/ord0102.pdf |
| Language: |
English |
| Database |
NTL Digital Repository |
TRT
