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This report describes an approach to evaluating the reliability of human actions that are modeled in a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of train control operations. This approach to human reliability analysis (HRA) has been applied in the case of a safety evaluation of the Communications-Based...
Readback/hearback errors by railroad dispatcher and train crews or other track users can potentially result in accidents and derailments. The training materials developed under this project are designed to improve dispatcher communication skills with the goal of reducing the occurrence of readback/...
This report presents the results of a study to explore approaches to railroad dispatcher trainee selection. The work was conducted in response to an indication from railroad industry representatives that there is a need for guidance in developing a dispatcher selection program, particularly with...
This report presents a summary of a one-day educational conference on human-centered incident investigation methods for the railroad industry. Fifty-seven participants from the railroads, rail labor, government, and consulting/academia attended the one-day conference, held in Chicago, IL. Mr....
The problem of assuring alertness in railroad locomotive crews is defined. Principles for maintaining alertness are derived from the experimental literature on vigilance and several unresolved questions are explored through three experiments. The findings are summarized in a set of criteria for...
This report presents a theoretical analysis predicting the temperature distribution, thermal deflections, and thermal stresses that may occur in typical steel Maglev guideways under the proposed Orlando FL thermal environment. Transient, finite element heat transfer analyses are used to predict the...
The safety of various magnetically levitated (maglev) trains under development for possible implementation in the United States is of direct concern to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This report is the second in a series of reports addressing the safety of high-speed maglev trains and...
This report presents the results of a systematic review of the safety requirements selected for the German Transrapid electromagnetic (EMS) type maglev system to determine their applicability and completeness with respect to the construction and operation of maglev systems in the United States....
The ride motions of a Maglev system were simulated by performing specific vertical and roll maneuvers in a small executive jet aircraft. After each maneuver the passenger subjects recorded a comfort rating on a 7-point scale from very comfortable to very uncomfortable. The vertical accelerations of...