Insights from Railway Professionals: Rethinking Railway assumptions regarding safety and autonomy

TL;DR

This paper explores railway professionals' perceptions of safety, emphasizing cautious attitudes towards automation, the importance of assistive tech, and the need for railway-specific safety models to guide future technological advancements.

Contribution

It provides insights into safety perceptions in railways, highlighting the limitations of automotive automation transfer and proposing a railway-specific causation model for safety evaluation.

Findings

Cautious attitude towards automation among professionals

Preference for assistive technologies over full automation

Need for railway-specific safety causation models

Abstract

This study investigates how railway professionals perceive safety as a concept within rail, with the intention to help inform future technological developments within the industry. Through a series of interviews with drivers, route planners,and administrative personnel, the research explores the currentstate of safety practices, the potential for automation and the understanding of the railway as a system of systems. Key findings highlight a cautious attitude towards automation, a preference for assistive technologies, and a complex understanding of safety that integrates human, systematic and technological factors. The study also addresses the limitations of transferring automotive automation technologies to railways and the need for a railway-specific causation model to better evaluate and enhance safety in an evolving technological landscape. This study aims to bridge thegap between contemporary research and practical applications, contributing to the development of more effective safety metrics.