What Are the Major Roles of a Train Dispatcher?

 In layman's language, train dispatchers are the people who give trains their orders. Train dispatchers are responsible for ensuring the trains and crews move safely and efficiently across the network of railways, plus they ensure no train is delayed for unnecessary reasons. Before we get specific and dive deep into the major roles of a train dispatcher, it will help if you look at and discuss what happens before the dispatchers perform their job in central dispatch services.

Imagine a rail yard filled with cars, and to prepare them for the journey, they are blocked, i.e., put into groups based on their destinations and then are attached to a locomotive to create a train. After this, the train is prioritized. In other words, if two trains need to use the same track, the train's priority decides which one gets to go first. You must wonder how the priority is even determined. The type of the train determines the priority of the train. For example, the passenger train is given the highest priority, and the manifest trains, i.e., the trains with various car types destined for various customers, are given the lowest priority. Once the trains are put into groups and are prioritized, all of this information is transferred into a system. Here is when the role of the train dispatcher steps in.

 

Role of Train Dispatcher

 

The dispatcher takes the information mentioned above and uses it to give orders to the trains. The orders include when the train is allowed to leave the yard, how far is the train allowed to travel, and how fast can the train travel. All this falls under the category of limits of authority.

 

It is noted that the role of the dispatcher is quite similar to that of air traffic control, except they can manage trains on the ground instead of planes in the air.

 

How Do Dispatchers Ensure the Safe Movement of the Trains?

 

The dispatchers clear the signals so that the trains can move efficiently and safely through a specific territory. For example, with the help of a spotlight, the driver knows if it is safe to proceed to an intersection or not! Likewise, with the help of red, green and yellow lights, the train conductors analyze whether it is safe to proceed on a section of the train or not. For the dispatchers to perform efficiently, the dispatchers are trained with a thorough dispatch training course in Janesville.

 

Conclusion

 

The dispatchers have a daunting job, but again an incredibly important job. They play a crucial role in professional freight services, i.e., ensuring it is done safely. For help with freight services or freight dispatcher training programs, you can seek help from RailRCS and get help from professionals.