Metrolink peer review report - Ventura County Star

METROLINK COMMUTER RAIL SAFETY PEER REVIEW PANEL
Final Report – January 5, 2009
Issue Paper #6: Analysis of Metrolink Short Term Safety Projects
Issue Papers
The SCRRA ad hoc subcommittee asked that the Panel review the following short-term safety projects that were
being considered by the SCRRA Board. The Panel has reviewed and recommended actions for each of the
following issues:
a. In-cab video recording
b. ATS/PTC
c. Second set of eyes
d. DigiCon Dispatch Issue
e. Annual Health and Psychiatric Evaluations
f. Railroad Industry Hours of Service/Split Shift Issue
a. In-Cab Video Surveillance
Observations
Whether the Panel recommends or discourages in-cab video cameras depends on the specific reason for installing
them and SCRRA’s ability to resolve successfully the practical, legal and cultural issues that the cameras present.
Recommendations
a. Investigate, specify, procure, and install video monitoring system technology in the operating cabs of
SCRRA Passenger Rail Equipment. The Federal Aviation Administration has performed research in this
area and their findings, technology and protocols should be reviewed as part of this process.
b. Technology should include a software application for facilitating the analysis of video observations and
provide for real time observations.
Background
The following are the various existing video surveillance applications and available technologies:
• Real-time Monitoring of the Engineer’s Well-being, Alertness, and the Absence of Distractions. Aided by
“smart technology” that analyzes streaming video for specific concerns (such as cell-phone use, extra people in
the cab, and eye-closures/fatigue), one could monitor multiple trains in real-time from the dispatch center.
Adding a camera to focus outside the locomotive, this setup could also provide a distraction-free second set of
eyes.
• Monitoring Fatigue. The trucking industry uses special video cameras to monitor driver fatigue by measuring
the frequency and duration of eye-blinks.
• Incident Investigation. Focusing inside and outside the cab, video cameras could be used to record activity
outside the train for a specified amount of time before, during, and after an event is triggered (e.g., hard break
application, accident, or a crossing violation). This application would not require real-time monitoring: tapes
could be stored and reviewed by investigative teams.
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