Issues in Locomotive Crew Management and Scheduling

Details

• Creators:
  Pollard, John K.
• Corporate Creators:
  John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Stress (Physiology)
  • Fatigue (Physiological condition)
  • Workload
  • Working conditions
  • Locomotive engineers
  • Train crews
  • Scheduling
  • Conflict (Psychology)
  • Hours of labor
  • Railroad
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT-VNTSC-FRA-91-1 ; DOT/FRA/RRP-91-01
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report January 1990 - September 1990
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration
• Abstract:
  This study explores matters related to the scheduling and management of locomotive crews, particularly as they ; might contribute to fatigue and stress. It describes how crews are scheduled currently, why there is so much ; unpredictability in schedules, how various aspects of current practices contribute to fatigue and stress, and what ; options exist to improve matters. It is based mostly on interviews with operating managers, dispatchers and ; crew callers on various railroads, discussions with union officials and focus-group sessions with working ; engineers. The mechanics of scheduling trains and crews on each of seven roads are discussed along with the ; timing of scheduling decisions, current problems and planned improvements in communications and control. ; Among the causes of fatigue identified by engineers who participated in the focus groups are: uncertainty as to ; the time ones nextjobwill be called, excessive working hours, long commutes and waiting times, the poor ; condition of some locomotives and other equipment, unsatisfactory conditions for sleeping at some terminals, ; poor distribution of workload among the crew, interpersonal conflicts with dispatchers and crew callers, and ; deliberate choices by crewmen to do something other than resting during the day even when they knew they ; mi ght be called for wor k that night. ; Possible corrective measures suggested are: a minimum of eight hours notice before reporting for work, greater ; predictability in scheduling, and division of the pools according to the period of the day when they were ; susceptible to calls. Plans for implementing some of these measures are discussed.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  R1020/RR192
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8627/dot_8627_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 7.65 MB]
• Collection(s):
  Volpe Center ; Federal Railroad Administration
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c4b952fc8a799439674c7c3eb23055e7547da8f02e4ce8b753b0a3a6d10e592d6b4f5ffc8b2b5d836ed8b1c9d10df59c6efd5428c4f8c61be6ed2a56327181a4