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

Details

• Creators:
  Roth, Emilie M. ; Malsch, Nicholas ; Multer, Jordan
• Corporate Creators:
  John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Cognition
  • Dispatchers
  • Schedule maintenance
  • Information display systems
  • Cognitive task analysis
  • Communications
  • Data link
  • Decision-making
  • Displays
  • Railroad dispatcher
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT/FRA/ORD-01/02 ; DOT-VNTSC-FRA-98-3
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report; April 1998 - December 1998
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
• Abstract:
  This report documents the results ofaCognitive 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. Ahybrid 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 acognitively demanding task. Dispatchers have developed avariety ofstrategies 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 ofthese strategies depend heavily on communication and coordination among individuals distributed across time ; and space.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  R9032/RR993 ; R0103/RR004
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8741/dot_8741_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.08 MB]
• Collection(s):
  Volpe Center ; Federal Railroad Administration
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:86137a9520e05c3052a619df31a7ef2a438e02c8a118b569d164a95b1efe71d3ce865914a66d969a51d929b0ed90cb0ee6d1f7453394f14b5aa0336cba7de831