New control strategies and user interfaces for train traffic control

The developing situation with higher speed, more frequent traffic, and many competing train traffic operators, requires new principles and technical solutions for more efficient train traffic control. Control actions are today often mainly focused on controlling the technical parts of the infrastructure, signals etc. We have tried to shift the control paradigm from today's more technology oriented into a more traffic strategy oriented one. This is done by replacing the more traditional control tasks by real-time planning tasks. The new train traffic control tasks will be to continuously, in real-time, produce a functional and efficient traffic plan. Whenever a disturbance can be identified, this must be early detected by the planner and result in the specification of a new functional plan. The plan is executed, by automated systems or by human dispatchers. The user interfaces of the control systems must support this new planning paradigm. Important requirements concern e.g. cognitive load and automated cognitive processes cognitive work environment problems, human error performance and dynamic decision processes. The new interfaces are designed to integrate all decision relevant information into one unified interface. Another problem that has been addressed is the communication between the train traffic control centres and the train drivers. We see a need to further develop this communication, in order to make the train drivers more aware of the present traffic situation in the region, and at the same time transfer decision relevant information from the trains to the control centres.