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
  • Railroad safety
  • Fatigue (Physiological condition)
  • Drowsiness
  • Night shifts
  • Scheduling
  • Schedules
  • Forecasting
  • Railroad dispatcher
  • 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
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• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8749/dot_8749_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.04 MB]
• Collection(s):
  Volpe Center ; Federal Railroad Administration
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:4a332821f7b4fe18d285abf66de2dbd84c79adc6196d4c80edabf4bdffaa38cd