Remote train operation (RTO): Human-centred design of a workplace

Abstract

Efforts to enable more efficient railway operations through automatic train operation (ATO) will be accompanied by major changes in the activities of railway employees. One example is the new role of the remote train operator (RO), whose task is to monitor driverless train operations and intervene in the event of disruptions. As this activity holds the risk of sub-optimal workload and performance, the aim of this work was to develop a human-centred job profile for the RO. Based on a literature research on remote operation requirements and the description of concrete application scenarios, we used the morphological box method to create a target image of the RO profession in a participatory design workshop with n = 10 train drivers and rail traffic controllers who jointly developed a preferred profile from 25 design dimensions in the categories of task design, technology design and operational conditions. The profile was evaluated in an online study with n = 100 train drivers and rail traffic controllers. It comprises, i.a., an alarm-based concept, a wide range of tasks and classic control elements for train control. The results underline the importance of a scientifically sound and human-centred approach to making new workplaces attractive to potential employees.