Understanding how train dispatchers manage and control trains : results of a cognitive task analysis

Details

• Creators:
  Roth, Emilie M. ; Malsch, Nicholas ; Multer, J
• Corporate Creators:
  John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Dispatchers
  • Railroad trains
  • Railroad tracks
  • Railroad traffic control
  • Human factors
  • Cognition
  • Task analysis
  • Digital communication systems
  • Decision making
  • Cognitive task analysis
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT-VNTSC-FRA-98-3 ; DOT/FRA/ORD-01/02
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report April 1998 - December 1998
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration
• Abstract:
  This report documents the results of a Cognitive Task Analysis that examined how experienced railroad dispatchers manage and ; schedule trains in today’s 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.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  R9032/RR993
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8740/dot_8740_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 890.42 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Volpe Center ; Federal Railroad Administration
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:922cfab365db1eefb55162478fa8af3891b7d04e830b4f48e49bfb9e019675756bc95ac7af8213ef06a9d271d589601594305378885f646cb79adfca56b11251