Anne Lorenz
Siemens AG
Dr. Anne Lorenz has studied business engineering, with a focus on civil engineering aspects in Braunschweig. After finishing her studies, she started working for the Institute of Railway Systems Engineering and Traffic Safety at TU Braunschweig. There, she focused on working about system aspects (especially safety assessments) of the European Train Control System (ETCS). Her PhD thesis researched different options of training route knowledge. She now works as a safety manager Siemens AG Mobility in Braunschweig.
Train drivers are only permitted to drive on a public railway infrastructure in Germany if they have the required knowledge of the route, which means that they are familiar with all specifics and characteristics of the route such as locations of the signals or shortened braking distances. Route knowledge is usually obtained by accompanying an experienced driver. This approach is organisationally difficult and time consuming. This thesis deals with the analysis and assessment of various possibilities to obtain route knowledge in Germany. Based on an analysis of the current practice (national and international) and associated problems the need is shown to analyse how modern technology can be used to convey successfully route knowledge more easily and with greater flexibility. In our research the following questions are considered:
- Is the use of modern media as suitable as traditional methods (such as accompanying an experienced driver) for obtaining route knowledge?
- Is it sufficient to drive with restricted route knowledge (where the train driver has studied operational documents but has not seen the route)?
The questions were answered using the following criteria: “Safety”, “Punctuality”, “Economic efficiency” and “Subjective well-being”, which were developed and defined as part of the thesis.
As there is hardly any existing literature about route knowledge, we conducted an online survey of train drivers (559 respondents). Based on the results, a simulator study was carried out at the virtual railway laboratory at the Institute of Railway Systems Engineering and Traffic Safety. With this study we compared the two approaches “Driving accompanied by a person with route knowledge” (traditional approach, most used) and “Computer-based route knowledge training (CBT)” (a seldom used method, but one which benefits greatly from modern technology). All 31 participants of the simulator study were persons working as train drivers.
Regarding the first question, evaluation of the visual data, observation of the driving time trends and the driver’s statements regarding subjective well-being all suggest that both researched methods to obtain route knowledge are equally well suited. Regarding the second question, due to the tendencies in the results for punctuality and the driver’s statements regarding subjective well-being hint to the fact that it is better to drive with full route knowledge than with restricted route knowledge only. The criterion “Safety” cannot be conclusively assessed because not all safety-related aspects are known but there are tendencies pointed out that driving with route knowledge is safer compared to driving with restricted route knowledge without speed restrictions.
In addition to answering the research questions, we give recommendations for the further development of the German regulation about “Route knowledge” called “Streckenkenntnis-Richtlinie (VDV-Schrift 755)“ as well as for the design and information to be conveyed by a CBT. Finally, some ideas for future research are discussed.
