USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Understanding How Railroad Dispatchers Manage and Control Trains: A Cognitive Task Analysis of a Distributed Team Planning Task

Document Series:
Other Reports
Author:
  • E. Roth, N. Malsch, J. Multer and M. Coplen
Office
RRD
Keywords:
Understanding How Railroad Dispatchers Manage and Control Trains: A Cognitive Task Analysis of a Distributed Team Planning Task
Document
HFDisp.pdf (95.02 KB)

A Cognitive Task Analysis was conducted to examine how experienced railroad dispatchers manage track use.  The results of the analysis reinforce findings from other domains (e.g., space shuttle mission control, air traffic control) regarding the role of a shared communication channel in supporting anticipation and contingency planning.  Implication for the introduction of advanced "data-link" communication technologies, as well as for dispatcher training are discussed.


DOT is committed to ensuring that information is available in appropriate alternative formats to meet the requirements of persons who have a disability. If you require an alternative version of files provided on this page, please contact FRADevOps@dot.gov.
Last updated: Friday, October 1, 1999