On Track: A Series of Research about the Effects of Increasing Railway Automation on the Train Driver

Abstract

Abstract Railway automation as defined by the grades of automation is changing the ways in which the staff can contribute to overall system performance and safety. We present extensive and coherent experimental results on the effects of intermediate grades of automation on train driver performance, fatigue, workload, situation awareness and attention allocation. These results concerning intermediate grades of automation are discussed and compared to research on low as well as high grades of automation. Ultimately, a way forward is proposed based on remote diagnosis, driving, and recovering of driverless automated mainline railway service.