Mobile Locomotive Simulator for Human Factors Research: The Federal Railroad Administration’s Cab Technology Integration Laboratory

This article describes the Cab Technology Integration Laboratory (CTIL), which is a mobile, full-sized locomotive simulator configured with tools for analyzing crew performance with new cab technologies and configurations. The CTIL is owned by the Federal Railroad Administration and housed and operated by staff at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Unlike most locomotive cab simulators, the CTIL was designed specifically for human factors research. The CTIL provides a platform for research into human-machine interface in relation to human performance, enabling assessment of the safety impact of various technologies, procedures, concepts of operations, and operating scenarios.