From in- cabin driving to remote interventions – Train driver tasks change with railway automation

Abstract

Automated train operation, classified through four distinct grades of automation (GoA), is on the rise in urban as well as long distance operations. An effective allocation of tasks to either the train driver or automated system components lies at the heart of operational safety and each subsequent GoA alters the needed allocation of tasks. The changing tasks of the train driver when stepping from GoA 1 to GoA 2 have been described in terms of levels and stages of automation, but the substantial changes that come with the next step towards GoA 3 need to be considered with care, as GoA 3 is characterized by unmanned train operation. Unmanned operation fundamentally challenges the way railway safety is ensured, as the train driver disappears from the cabin. We present a possible allocation of necessary task between remotely placed train operators and autonomously driving vehicles, which is based on current German operational regulations. The work is set out to contribute to the development to safe GoA 3 mainline operations. The task allocation is discussed in the context of widely acknowledged stages and levels of automation, and it´s prototypical implementation into a simulated remote workplace for experimental research is introduced.