Train Dispatchers

[Do Kieu]

CharlesMinot, a Division Superintendent on the Erie Railroad is credited with the first effort to control the movement of a train beyond the rule book and operating timetable, when, in September 1851, he sent a telegram to a railroad employee at another location directing that all trains be held at that point until the train Minot was riding could arrive.[citation needed]

From that beginning, a system of train dispatching evolved. The operating rule book, later standardized for all railroads, contained the basic rules for the operation of trains, such as the meaning of the all fixed, audible and hand signals; the form, format and meaning of train orders; and the duties and obligations of each class of employee. The operating, or official, timetable established train numbers and schedules; meeting points for those trains; showed the length of passing tracks at each station as well as indicating the locations where train orders might be issued and contained a variety of other information which might be necessary or useful to train crews operating trains over the territory covered.

Train orders supplemented the timetable and the rule book. They were addressed to a particular train or trains and directed that train or trains to do whatever the train dispatcher had decided needed to be done: meet another train, wait at specified locations, run late on its published schedule, be cautious under the circumstances described or numerous other actions.

Train dispatchers are required to be intimately familiar with the physical characteristics of the railroad territory for which they are responsible, as well as the operating capabilities of the locomotive power being used. Experienced train dispatchers learned the idiosyncrasies of the locomotive engineers and train conductors and melded that knowledge into the operating decisions made. An efficient train dispatcher could utilize the rule book, timetable, train orders and personal experience to move a large number of trains over the assigned territory with minimal delay to any train, even in single-track territory.

Initially, train dispatchers issued train orders using American Morse code over telegraph wires. Later, after the telephone was invented in 1876 and became common, most railroads constructed their own telephone systems, for internal communications, which the train dispatchers used to issue train orders. The last train order known to have been issued using Morse code was copied at Whitehall, Montana, on May 6, 1982, on the Burlington Northern Railroad.[citation needed]

Beginning before World War II and accelerating after it, most major railroads installed centralized traffic control (CTC) systems to control train movements. Using CTC, a train dispatcher could align track switches anywhere on the territory so that trains could move into and out of sidings without having to stop and hand throw switches. The train dispatcher could also control the trackside signals governing the movement of trains. Two-way radios enabled train dispatchers to communicate directly with train and engine crews. These capabilities eliminated the need for most train orders, but still required the oversight of a train dispatcher.

In Australia train dispatchers are known as Train/Network controllers. Most train controllers are employed by such Australian State and Federal Government organisations as the Australian Rail Track Corporation, the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia, Queensland Rail, and Sydney Trains. Others are the employees of privately operated railways such as those found in the Pilbara region. The mining giants BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals Group and Roy Hill, all operate their own networks from Remote Operation Centres and employ large numbers of train controllers.

In New Zealand a dispatcher is known as a train controller, as in Australia. KiwiRail recently centralised all of its train control functions in a single control centre located in the national capital, Wellington, at the southern end of the North Island.

Singapore refers to their train dispatchers as train service controllers (TSC). On its Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), they run the Operations Control Centre (OCC) and ensure that trains run on time and manage any incidents on the system.[2]

Dispatchers also grant authority for engineering professionals to repair track. For instance, if a welder needs to repair a segment of track, dispatchers know not to give any train authority to move past a certain point on their track in order to ensure the safety of the engineer. So in addition to supervising train movement, dispatchers also supervise work done on tracks.

Why is training so thorough? Train dispatchers are responsible for keeping train crews and engineering professionals safe, as well as ensuring safety in the communities through which trains travel. When human lives are at stake, training must be taken very seriously.

The location of dispatchers vary from railroad to railroad, but they are usually centralized in a large dispatching center that is supported by smaller satellite locations. Dispatching never stops, so main dispatching centers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At Union Pacific, most dispatchers work at the Harriman Dispatching Center in Omaha, Nebraska, an historic brick building originally constructed in 1891 as a freight house. Nearly 100 years later, the freight house was repurposed as the nation's first centralized dispatching center. A reinforced concrete bunker houses the train dispatchers, their computerized equipment and the train management team. Union Pacific also operates satellite dispatching centers in Spring, Texas, Kansas City, Kansas, and San Bernardino, California. Altogether, it takes about 350-400 dispatchers to keep the entire Union Pacific system moving.

Centralized Traffic Control

The system used to dispatch trains varies from railroad to railroad, but in general, dispatching systems (also referred to as Centralized Traffic Control) allow dispatchers to see a segment of track, the location of a train or trains, and the status of the signals along that section of track.

For instance, Union Pacific Railroad uses a system called CADX, a newer, more automated system than what has been used historically. In the past, dispatching relied on keystrokes input by dispatchers, similar to typing on a keyboard. Today, the system is run by mouse clicks to reduce the chance of human error and to allow dispatchers to manage their territory in a safer, more efficient manner.

For the most part, train movements are automated using sophisticated algorithms. But at times, dispatchers must step in and make critical decisions that promote safety and efficiency. For instance, if a train experiences a mechanical breakdown, the delay may cause the crew to run out of hours of service before reaching their destination as originally planned. When this is the case, dispatchers must intervene, reprioritizing the movement of trains so crews can complete their journey before their hours of service are up.

A snapshot of Union Pacific's CADX dispatching system. The lines represents the track. The red line with the arrow on the left of the screen is the train itself. The green lines represent the authority ahead of the train (the area through which it is allowed to travel). The red and green circles represent signals. This screen shot represents a train meet, where one train must pull into a siding (in this instance, at the Orchard siding) so the other can pass.

On May 16, 2024, Union Pacific hosted a webinar on nearshoring, a business strategy that involves companies shifting manufacturing and production operations to Mexico, closer to main markets in the U.S. The webinar covered:

In 2022, the U.S. government shared the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge. This government-wide approach works within the industry to reduce costs, enhance sustainability, and expand production to 3 billion gallons per year of domestic SAF. By 2030, the U.S. must achieve a minimum of a 50% reduction in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to conventional fuel. By 2050, 35 billion gallons of annual SAF production must be reached.

Under the final rules, railroads must submit certification programs for FRA approval that will evaluate the knowledge, skills, and prior safety records of dispatchers, who allocate and assign track use and route trains, and signal employees, who install, repair, and maintain signal systems that direct train movements. In addition, these certification programs will help ensure that dispatchers and signal employees periodically receive training on railroad safety and operating rules and practices as well as on new systems and technology.

The final rule on dispatcher certification is on public inspection in the Federal Register here, and the final rule for signal employees can be viewed here. More information on USDOT efforts to strengthen rail safety can also be found here.

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Railroads rely on trackside detectors like this one along a Union Pacific line in western Iowa, seen Dec. 15, 2023, to help spot mechanical problems on trains before they can cause derailments. The Federal Railroad Administration finalized new rules Monday, May 20, 2024, that will establish training and certification standards for the workers who install and maintain these detectors and other signals along the railroads. (AP Photo/Josh Funk)

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