Optimizing Staffing levels and Schedules for Railroad Dispatching Centers

Details

• Creators:
  Gertler, J ; Nash, D.
• Corporate Creators:
  Foster-Miller Associates
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Dispatchers Drowsiness Fatigue (Physiological Condition) Forecasting Night Shifts Railroad Dispatcher Railroad Safety Schedule Design Schedules Scheduling Scheduling System Staffing Level

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DFRA.010350 ; DOT/FRA/ORD-04/01
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report, 12/99-02/01
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration
• Abstract:
  This report presents the results of a study to explore approaches to establishing staffing levels and schedules for railroad dispatchers. The
  
  work was conducted as follow-up to a prior study that found fatigue among dispatchers, particularly those who worked permanent night
  
  shifts. The present study had four objectives: 1) document current industry practices, 2) assess impact of current schedules on dispatcher
  
  fatigue, 3) develop methodology for establishing staffing levels, 4) develop alternative scheduling strategies.
  
  Through site visits to six dispatching operations, current industry approaches to dispatcher staffing and scheduling were documented. All
  
  six sites have three categories of jobs: regular, relief and extra board. Staffing levels are established through experience and management
  
  judgment. All of these sites use schedules that are categorized as non self-relieving 3-crew systems with a relief crew.
  
  The Relief Factor Formulas (RFF), the shift relief factor and the optimal staffing formula, are suggested as alternative methods for
  
  establishing staffing levels at dispatching centers. These methods compute an objective staffing level based on management criteria and
  
  historical data for “not at work days.” Staffing projections using the RFF assume that absences are equally likely to occur on any day of
  
  the week or season of the year so it is possible that there will be a limited number of days when overtime may be necessary.
  
  Current dispatcher schedules have a number of possible problems with regard to dispatcher fatigue and quality of work life. Alternative
  
  scheduling strategies that can relieve these are the following: A) Create a three crew self-relieving system, B) Allow fixed weekday shift
  
  for senior dispatchers and rotate days off for remaining positions, C) Assign relief dispatchers to a single shift and use extra board to cover
  
  unplanned vacancies on a single shift, D) Convert weekends to two 12-hr shifts. All of these options have the potential to reduce fatigue
  
  and ease the burden for schedulers who must fill last-minute vacancies.
  
  15. NUMBER OF PAGES
  
  103
  
  14. SUBJECT TERMS
  
  railroad dispatcher, staffing level, schedule design, scheduling system
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  Federal Railroad Administration Volpe Center
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:4a332821f7b4fe18d285abf66de2dbd84c79adc6196d4c80edabf4bdffaa38cd
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8749/dot_8749_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.04 MB ]