Yard and Terminal Safety

The primary objective of the yard and terminal research is to determine the human factors aspects of railroad yard and terminal operations that can be changed to enhance safety. This research includes the manner in which specific jobs are performed, the design of the tools that are required to perform the job, and the circumstances in which the job is performed.

Projects of yard and terminal safety include (click HERE ):

• One-Person Remote Operations
• Ergonomic Issues and Root-cause Analysis in Yard & Terminal Injuries
• Maintenance-of-Way Safety
• Railroad Safety Culture: Behavior-Based Safety Process and Safety Rules Consolidation

Train Operations Safety

The objective of the train operations safety research is to assess the current problem of operator fatigue within the railroad industry and to cooperate in the development of the tools to enhance safety. The primary focus will be to determine whether common work schedules encountered in railroad operations produce sufficient fatigue, lack of alertness, or stress in locomotive engineers and dispatchers, to compromise the safety and efficiency of their work performance. Related questions concern the amelioration of such fatigue and stress by adjustments in work schedules, crew calling procedures, hours of service regulations, and the exacerbation of fatigue by high-speed operations. The impact of emerging technologies (e.g., digital communications, computers, and GPS) on human performance and safety is also addressed.

Projects in train operations safety include (click HERE ):

• Fatigue Tools
• Human Reliability Analysis in Positive Train Control
• Engineman Vigilance Monitoring
• Dispatcher Readback/Hearback Training
• High-Speed Operator Stress and Fatigue
• High-speed and Freight Locomotive Simulator Research Program
• Technology in High-Speed Rail Operations
• Dispatcher Training Evaluation and Selection
• Knowledge Display Interfaces
• Crew Resource Management
• Workload Transition Effects
• Digital Communications
• Cognitive Task Analyses of Railroad Occupations
• Locomotive Cab Working Conditions

Grade Crossing Safety

The objectives of the grade crossing human factors research are to improve knowledge of driver behavior, improve driver warning systems, both visual and audible, improve knowledge of opportunities to reduce speed-related risks at high-speed crossing, and evaluate Intelligent Transportation System concepts for grade crossing safety.

Projects relating to human factors issues at grade crossings include (click HERE ):

• Post-Accident Stress in Locomotive Engineers
• Driver Behavior
• Accident Causation Analysis
• Driver Education Programs
• Commuter Crossing Safety
• Human Factors Evaluation of Intelligent Grade Crossing Systems