Acute Stress and Train Driver Performance: A Systems Thinking Approach to Understanding Rail Stakeholder Perceptions

N. T. Liddell; P. M. Salmon; A. Naweed; G. J. M. Read

doi:10.1002/hfm.70062

Back

Acute Stress and Train Driver Performance: A Systems Thinking Approach to Understanding Rail Stakeholder Perceptions

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Acute Stress and Train Driver Performance: A Systems Thinking Approach to Understanding Rail Stakeholder Perceptions

N. T. Liddell, P. M. Salmon, A. Naweed and G. J. M. Read

Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries, Vol.36(5), pp.1-10

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hfm.70062

Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs

Files and links (1)

pdf

Acute Stress and Train Driver Performance: A Systems Thinking Approach to Understanding Rail Stakeholder Perceptions1.33 MBDownload View

Published Version Open Access CC BY-NC-ND V4.0

Abstract

performance

risk management

stress

train driving

work‐related stress

Train driving is considered a high‐risk occupation for stress and work‐related mental health disorders. Sources of stress exposure during routine operations can impact a drivers' capacity for safe train operation. From a systems thinking perspective, safety is a responsibility shared by stakeholders across the rail transport system, with risk management relying upon those at the higher levels understanding the system state and the extent to which existing controls are achieving safe system functioning. In relation to driver stress, this requires that rail system stakeholders understand both the stressful events that train drivers are exposed to, and the impacts of this stress on driver performance. This research applied Rasmussen's Risk Management Framework to investigate and compare rail safety stakeholder perceptions on the impacts of acute stress on train driver performance. 119 rail stakeholders (drivers, guards, management, and regulators) were presented with three stressful event scenarios and asked to describe and rate impacts on driver performance. Qualitative analysis provided evidence of alignment of perceptions amongst drivers and other stakeholders, with themes indicating some agreement across rail system levels (e.g., across drivers, guards, supervisors, and management). Results revealed the most frequently reported stress impact related to cognition. Practical implications and future research directions to prevent and manage stressful event exposure are discussed.

Details

Title: Acute Stress and Train Driver Performance: A Systems Thinking Approach to Understanding Rail Stakeholder Perceptions
Authors: N. T. Liddell (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
P. M. Salmon - University of the Sunshine Coast
A. Naweed - Central Queensland University
G. J. M. Read - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries, Vol.36(5), pp.1-10
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1002/hfm.70062
ISSN: 1520-6564
Copyright note: © 2026 The Author(s). Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Data Availability: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Organisation Unit: Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science; Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic); School of Health - Psychology
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991263456202621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

1 File views/ downloads

1 Record Views