Route Knowledge in the GB railway and the route story approach

Driving a train requires a number of different types of skills and knowledge. For example, drivers need a detailed knowledge of a route (route knowledge) to allow them to interpret and understand route cues (multi-sensory... [ view full abstract ]

Driving a train requires a number of different types of skills and knowledge. For example, drivers need a detailed knowledge of a route (route knowledge) to allow them to interpret and understand route cues (multi-sensory notifications that remind a driver to undertake a task such as speed control). Cues used by drivers can be affected by driving style and the type of service. Route knowledge is a safety critical competency that allows the safe, productive, and fuel-efficient operation of GB Railways. However, there is little standardisation in how this competency is developed, delivered and maintained in the GB railway. This is in part due to a fundamental lack of clarity in the current GB Rail Industry Standard (RIS) for route knowledge. This lack of clarity leads to the provision of large amounts of information on route cues to train crew, but not how to use them. An expert group of human factors, operations, risk, and signalling engineering specialists have identified that current industry approaches based on observing train speed control, but with no consistent assessment of whether this is underpinned by the right strategies or route knowledge. The group has developed a new approach to assist route knowledge competence development called the “route story.” This new approach aims to provide a task-based description of essential route knowledge requirements. The route story presents a sequence of cues against which route competence can be assessed with a simple question set. Specialists have also developed a framework to support the standardisation of the route knowledge competence management process, helping support decisions about when changes to the current route knowledge competence process are needed and how, for example, new materials can be developed.

The Route Story approach has been trialled and validated using a situation awareness approach in three different types of railway undertaking (commuter, long distance, yellow plant) to validate it is can accommodate their different route knowledge learning needs. For the commuter company, route knowledge training materials were subsequently developed and trialled using a case study approach (Yin, 2003) where several variables and methods of data collection are taken into consideration. This allowed the specialists to use multiple sources of evidence to establish a clear chain of events and investigate the effect of materials developed using the route story process on route knowledge competence development. Emerging findings indicate a positive impact on learning in comparison to traditional training methods with participants showing a marked improvement in their route knowledge. This paper presents the development of the route story approach, materials development and emerging trial findings.