Light Rail Training

Introduction

When it comes to Light Rail Training, it can be very intense. There are so many things a student has to learn to master to be able to operate a train safely. In Portland, there is a transportation company called TriMet. They use buses and light rail trains as their transportation. Learning to drive a bus is more straightforward than learning to operate a light rail train because everyone already knows the road rules and how to drive at least a smaller vehicle. They need to know how to maneuver a larger vehicle. With a train, you have to start from the beginning. I work for this company as a light rail training supervisor. You have terminology, rules, switches, signals, etc to learn. Learning to read switches is the first step to learning to operate a train. Train derailments can mainly result in financial losses in damaged rolling stock and infrastructure and, most importantly, in causalities and operational shut-downs. (Dinder & Kaewunruen, 2018) Then, we teach vehicle orientation and the controls, troubleshooting, maneuvering the yards, and signals before we can take a student out on the alignment. In this blog, I will discuss different training techniques and how they could help instructors like me train better and more efficiently. The video above shows a morning of a light rail train operator.

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Train derailments can mainly result in financial losses in damaged rolling stock and infrastructure and, most importantly, in causalities and operational shut-downs. (Dinder & Kaewunruen, 2016)

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Simulators vs PowerPoint

PowerPoint presentations are suitable for different learning agendas. Still, simulators would work better for rail operations before taking the students into the Rail Yard to give them actual practice. When a simulation behavior is nearly identical to real trains, it gives a sense of realism you can’t get with another type of training. (Gutierrez et al., 2008) If you can give the students valuable real-life training before taking them out, it could save time and money. Let the students derail in a simulation instead of real life. PowerPoints can show the students what switches look like, their terminology, and how they work, but it’s harder to get them to understand unless they practice independently. Simulation can give them independent practice in a safe and controlled environment. Active engagement helps students better understand and retain knowledge than just learning passive information through PowerPoint. In the long run, simulator learning is a much better way of learning over PowerPoint.

Curiosity

Curiosity can help motivate students to learn a specific task and help keep them engaged by arousing curiosity about something uncertain or a desire to close a gap in someone’s knowledge with unanswered questions or unresolved conflicts. (Keller & Deimann, 2018). Using simulators like Virtual Reality (VR) could raise that curiosity in students. Students start to be curious about how everything works together to get the train safely from point A to point B. Having a simulation so they can practice different tasks helps to encourage engagement because their questions start to get answered. This helps curious minds explore how the trains work with switches, signals, track circuits, helps with answering troubleshooting questions, and much more. They can use the simulators to explore going out onto the mainline, not just around the yard. This helps get the students more engaged in the tasks they are learning.

Believing You Can Succeed

According to the Ted Talk, The Power of Belief -- Mindset and Success (2012), having the mindset that you can succeed increases grades over time, but having a fixed mindset impacts grades very little. By teaching with simulators, the students can learn how to overcome mistakes before going out on the trains. This helps build confidence that they can succeed and master their learning tasks. The student can practice a specific task as many times as necessary to do the task correctly. This creates a positive learning environment where learners can feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. This helps increase their mindset to believe they really can succeed. This is important when learning to operate a train because students must be confident to avoid making costly or deadly mistakes. With simulators, the students can also share their successes and achievements with other students. This helps encourage active participation and keeps students more engaged.

Goals

At TriMet, when bus operators sign up and apply to come over to operate light rail trains, it’s a first step to their ultimate career goals. Some stay rail operators, some move up to controllers or rail supervisors, and some might even decide that operating a train isn’t for them and go back to bus driving. No matter your intended goals, you have the drive to succeed in the light rail training program. Students can pursue multiple goals towards learning and creating positive experiences, which can create possibly changing goals along the way. (Keller & Deimann, 2018) Simulators can help create desired outcomes in their field of choice by demonstrating how the skills and knowledge can be directly applied. When you learn about operating a train, you learn about radio communications and etiquette. In simulations where you can talk with control, you learn the controllers' roles; this helps if you choose to go to control. The same goes for learning how to throw switches and troubleshoot trains because that is a step towards learning how to be a rail supervisor. Simulators can help every aspect of the rail side of TriMet.

Summary

It is essential for the safety of the operators, pedestrians, coworkers, and passengers for light rail operators to be trained entirely and to master all tasks. Simulators can help with mastering specific tasks by allowing the students to practice repeatedly until they can reach mastery. This helps the students build confidence and feel they can be a successful and safe operator. Once confidence is built, the students can go out into the real world, take the knowledge they have learned through simulation, and apply it in real life.

References:

Baker, M. (2010). The author file: Vivek Jayaraman. Nature Methods, 7(7), 483. https://doi-org.oclc.fullsail.edu/10.1038/nmeth0710-483

Dindar, S., & Kaewunruen, S. (2016). Investigation of risk-based maintenance strategies. ART-2016, The Korean Society for Railway, Juju, Korea.

Gutierrez, L. M., Mera, J. M., Castellote, E., Garcerán, A., & Ariza, F. (2008). The New Driving and Faults Solving Simulator for the Madrid Light Rail System. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment. https://doi.org/10.2495/cr080811

Keller, J. M., & Deimann, M. (2018). Chapter 9 Motivation, Volition, and Performance . In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in Instructional Design and Technology (4th ed., p. 81). essay, Pearson.

TED. (2012, November 18). The Power of Belief -- Mindset and Success | Eduardo Briceno | TEDxManhattanBeach [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/pN34FNbOKXc?si=4j9JLDuuPTHKKg7O