Putting Technology in Charge: Human and Organizational factors influencing the reliability of train operations under PTC

Abstract

In 2018, US Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act that required Class I railroads to install Positive Train Control systems on their tracks. On December 29, 2020, two days prior to the deadline, FRA announced that PTC is in operation on all 57,536 required railroad route miles. On September 25, 2021, Amtrak train 7 derailed near Joplin, Montana which resulted in the loss of 4 lives, 44 injuries, and over $22 million in damages. PTC, which is designed to prevent these types of accidents, was enabled and operating when accident happened. In this study, we identified performance factors that have a significant influence on the reliability of train operations under PTC. Although technical factors affect the operation, factors that arise from inadequate interaction of the subsystems or lack of alignment between organizational and human factors, and the technical system have a higher contribution to the train operations under PTC.