Rail & Public Transport - More projects
SPADs by freight trains
According to Dutch Rail Inspectorate’s statistics freight trains are 2.6 time more often involved in signals passed at danger (SPADs) per million train kilometres than passenger trains. Intergo investigated these differences using data analytics based on process and task analyses. read more
Train Collision Hermalle-sous-Huy
On 5 June 2016 a collision took place between a passenger train and a freight train at Hermalle-sous-Huy (Belgium). Three people died (including the driver) and nine people were seriously injured. read more
Big-data analyses train driver performance
Increasingly, data is available from various systems. For the Dutch train operator NS, this means that it becomes possible to learn from realized journeys, and apply these lessons for the future. An important principle here is the privacy of the employees involved. read more
ERTMS: a pilot with Dual Signalling
In 2014 the Ministry of Transport formulated a strategy for implementation of ERTMS in Holland. Prior to decision-making a pilot with ERTMS in commercial train service was performed on the track between the cities of Amsterdam and Utrecht. read more
Foot control in new HTM tram
The new tram (Avenio) of HTM is built by Siemens. This tram is equipped with a foot control with three pedals on a height adjustable footrest. read more
Operational processes and ERTMS level 1
On the Havenspoorlijn, the rail track between the Maasvlakte, an industrial zone near Rotterdam, and Barendrecht, the European Train Control system ERTMS level 1 is applied. Information about for example the permitted train speed is transmitted to the train driver not only by means of signs and... read more
Safety Communication
Important announcements that we make verbally are not always received correctly. Remember the game in which a sentence has to be passed on in a whisper via a whole row of people? At the end of the row it is often an entirely different announcement than at the beginning! read more
Step height at driver’s cabin of train
The height to the bottom step of the train’s driver’s cabin has been relatively high for many years. The Labour Inspectorate does not accept this any more in an increasing amount of instances, as they employ basic standard like NEN 5518 (for trucks a maximum of 400 mm). read more
Energetic load DB Cargo
DB Cargo Netherlands (DB Schenker) has asked for an up-to-date and improved understanding of the energetic load of employees working outside. The employees perform a wide variety of activities that can have a high energetic load. DB Schenker wants to plan shifts in a sound manner that fits in... read more
Assistance for disabled people and use of the boarding ramp
A foldable boarding ramp is used to help wheelchair and scoot users board and exit the train, as part of the assistance for disabled people. Employees have complaints about the use of the boarding ramp. These complaints concern safety, physical load and the workspace on small platforms. read more
Route knowledge for train drivers
To be allowed to drive a train from A to B, drivers must have – apart from a general aptitude and knowledge / experience with certain rolling stock - also Route knowledge. read more
Train Collision Amsterdam Westerpark
Intergo was commissioned by the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) to perform a study into the human factors that played a role in the train collision in Amsterdam Westerpark on 21 April 2012. read more
Orbit
The current Dutch automatic train protection system ATB-EG allows trains to pass signals at danger at 40 kmh. To further increase safety levels Orbit is designed to complement ATB-EG and be an alternative to ATB-Vv (Improved version). read more
STM-STM Transitions
Specific balises near the frontier of The Netherlands and Germany resp. Belgium enable ETCS equipped trains to cross the boarder, and automatically changeover from one national train protection system to another using specific transmission modules (STM). ProRail commissioned Intergo to assess... read more
Ergonomic assessment ATB–Improved version
ATB-Improved version (ATB-Vv) is a supplemental safety layer for the existing ATB system (Dutch automatic train protection) aiming to prevent signals passed at danger (SPADs). read more
Routing, Signing en Branding (RSB) in Public Transport
Prorail, GVB and NS work together to realize the Routing, Signing and Branding (RSB) for the use of the OV-chipcard on stations. Intergo is asked to develop a concept that is appropriate for the use of OV-chipcard on stations/stops where passengers must make a choice between several railway... read more
Passengers waiting on the platform
Passengers must be able to safely wait on a train platform. When trains pass the platform with high speed, a safe place on the platform is even more essential. read more
Moving stairs and bicycles, a difficult combination
Moving stairs seem to be a good solution to bridge heights on locations with little available ground space. read more
Guidelines for travel and commercial information in stations
Between different concerning parties there was no consensus about the balance between travel information and commercial signing. Setting up requirements to resolve this, could easily end up in conflicting interests. read more
Transparency of objects on station platforms
In relation to the development of new station furniture Intergo developed verifiable requirements for the transparency of objects on station platforms. Transparency has been translated into free/not-blocked lines of sight. read more
Experience value of stations: Station XX
Travelling by public transport is a total experience with many different factors. The train must run on time, the station must provide sufficient safety and shelter, and also a good atmosphere is important for the total experience. read more
Speech intelligibility of onboard train PA systems
Informing train passengers is a key issue for NS. One information medium is the onboard PA system. NS and NedTrain started an investigation into the technical state of these systems, the requirement specifications, and the relation between these parameters and passenger's judgement. read more
Rules of etiquette in trains
The Dutch Railways have recently decided to draw up rules of etiquette, which will be applied in trains. The rules are displayed in the form of a large sticker. The text, in Dutch and English, is supported by a set of pictograms. read more
Signage in Station buildings
The Dutch Railways has developed new corporate design for that is also used for signing and travel information presentation in stations buildings. As a test, this signage was placed in 15 stations. The Dutch Railways felt the need to audit the entire system of signage and it’s underlying... read more
Improved signs along the track
ProRail has the intention to improve the visibility of signs along the track. In fact this means the use of a better retroreflective sheet material (class II instead of class I conform NEN-EN 12899-1). read more
Train diagnostic system for train drivers
In the Netherlands Railways’ newest double-deck train sets a diagnostic system is installed to detect malfunctions and breakdowns of train equipment. By means of a touchscreen in each cabin the train driver can be informed about the status of the equipment. Intergo specified and designed the... read more
Punctuality in service of rolling stock (PUMA)
Train delays have a lot of causes (faulty infrastructure, external causes, etc.). In registrations a large number of train delays is attributed to the technical factor rolling stock. However technical failures are frequently related to human performance.Intergo is asked to examine the so-called... read more
Driver-machine interface (DMI) for integrated journey information
The Netherlands Railways ask Intergo to come up with a design proposal for an integrated interface for the train driver. read more
Siemens Combino tram
Siemens is the supplier of the Combino tram to the GVB (the Amsterdam municipal transport authority). read more
Standing in trains
NS needs more insight information concerning the quality of standing in trains. Intergo has investigated standing in trains. read more
Boarding and alighting process on trains
The Netherlands Railways wishes to reduce the stopping times of its double-deck stock from 2 a 3 minutes to 1 a 2 minutes. By way of experiment, some inner doors were removed to investigate the effect on the boarding and alighting speed and on passenger movement patterns. read more
New Amsterdam metro cabin
Intergo was chosen by Alstom Transport to deliver an independent report about the ergonomic quality of the new Amsterdam metro cabin. read more
Configuration new workshop
Strukton Railinfra wants to build a new workshop for the maintenance of large track-related machines (for example track renewal). Intergo has been asked to assist in the choice of the configuration for the new workshop, so that an ergonomic optimal workshop can be realised. read more
The assessment of mental workload of train dispatchers
Mental workload is a concept that can be interpreted in many different ways. Therefore it is possible that the discussion about mental workload leads to confusion between different parties. read more
Mental workload of train dispatchers: Task Weighing
We presented a paper on this topic during the Third International Conference on Rail Human Factors.
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Train Traffic Control France
RFF (the French rail infrastructure manager) has developed outline plans for future traffic control in France. Centralization and a higher degree of automation are the central issues in the future. The impact of the future, including a more detailed basis for the business case, must be worked out. read more
Risk model for violations on level crossings
Safety on level crossings is an important subject for ProRail, the Dutch infrastructure manager. As a result, the safety on level crossings has improved significantly over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, lately the number of accidents on level crossings increased. read more
Distraction
Analysis of SPADs (signals passed at danger; passing a red light) shows that distraction of the driver plays an important part in 30% of the incidents. In 20% of the incidents the driver had formed expectations – in this study a form of distraction – based on the preceding signal. read more
Data Entry-procedure for ERTMS/ETCS-DMI
Prior to driving on a track equipped with ERTMS/ETCS the driver has to enter data about train composition into the system. Intergo proposed an optimal data entry procedure from the driver's perspective, information presentation, and operation. read more
Auditory signals for ERTMS/ETCS-DMI
The man-machine interface (MMI) or driver-machine-information (DMI) for ERTMS/ETCS/EIRENE has to present the driver with auditory information, in addition to visual. read more
Fast Passing
Intercity and local trains in the same direction normally use the same track. When the local train halts at a station the intercity train, driving more rapidly, can pass. If they drive according to the timetable, they do not interfere with each other. read more
Train driver's job design
Technical or ICT developments increasingly enter the train cab and influence the train driver's job. Netherlands Railways (NS) are in need of a framework to evaluate these developments. read more
Interface for ERTMS/ETCS
Trains across Europe pass borders more frequently. But each country has a different system to protect and control the train. To prevent the necessity to have on board a train control system for each country the train crosses a European Train Control System (ERTMS/ETCS) is developed. Furthermore... read more
Safety signs at escape doors in train tunnels
In new train tunnels ProRail installs an extra safety sign which indicates at calamities that behind a emergency door to a next tube still moving trains can be present. It is thereby important that this safety sign is the same in all rail tunnels. read more
ERTMS display in locomotives on the Betuweroute
The actual implementation of ERTMS/ETCS, the European Train Control System, in locomotives on the Betuweroute leads to several practical questions. One of these questions was the presence of another speedometer in the cabin functioning next to the speedometer on the DMI ERTMS. read more
Physical workload of rail workers
Working along the rail track is a physically demanding job. Under unfavourable conditions heavy and/or big materials are horizontally and vertically moved. This results in many physical complaints and sick leave. After many studies this customer thought it was time to actually DO something. read more
Safe speed of a passing train during track maintenance
ProRail, the Dutch manager of the rail infra structure, wants to raise safety level during track maintenance. Maximum security however means that no train can pass on the alongside tracks during the activities.This has undesirable social consequences. read more
Workload of a high speed train driver
Driving on the High Speed Line in the Netherlands the train driver passes some voltage transitions, where an overhead voltage change from 1500 V to 25 kV is demanded. In these areas the train driver has to perform some specific actions. read more
Video inspection of tracks: quality, work strain and workplace
Video inspection of the track is considered to be an attractive alternative for the walking inspection along the track (more safely, less disturbance of trains). Inspection of the track is necessary to detect defects and to identify large wear of the track. read more
Evaluation of railway trackyard Rotterdam
The layout of the tracks on the west side trackyard in Rotterdam Central Station has been changed substantially due to the connection of the High Speed Line South to Amsterdam/Schiphol Airport. One change is a new fly-over. read more
