Author: T. Sheridan, E. Lanzilotta, S. Askey

Date of Publication:  October 1994

Sponsoring Agency:  U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Research and Development

Performing Organization:  Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Human-Machine Systems Laboratory

Report No:  DOT/FRA/ORD-94/24

Abstract:

Although the speed of guided ground transportation continues to increase, the reaction time as well as the sensory land information processing capacities of on- and off-board operators remain constant. This report, the first of two examining critical human factors issues in future high-speed rail systems, focuses on the implications of this disparity on safety. It discusses the human factors aspects of French, German, and Japanese high-speed rail systems. It reviews salient human factors literature relevant both to human-machine functional allocation and safety in rail systems, and makes comparisons to similar aspects of operating aircraft, nuclear power stations, and other complex systems. Function analyses for high-speed train cab operation and dispatching centers are presented in the form of flow diagrams. Scenarios of abnormal conditions are suggested. Finally , the report addresses human-machine allocation and automation in controlling future high-speed trains, including the safety implications of various levels of automation.
 

No. of Pages:  98