Article

Received 06.08.2025

Revised 16.11.2025

Accepted 29.12.2025

Retrieved from Vol. 28, No. 2, 2025

Pages 190 -205

Samoilyk, V., Samsonkin, V., Vynohradov, O., Soloviova, O., & Biziuk, I. (2025). The human factor in metro operations: Determining the driver's condition during pre-departure procedures. The National Transport University Bulletin: A Scientific and Technical Journal, 28(2), 190-205. https://doi.org/10.32703/2617-9040-2025-46-14

The human factor in metro operations: Determining the driver's condition during pre-departure procedures

Vitalii Samoilyk Valerii Samsonkin Oleksii Vynohradov Oleksandra Soloviova Iryna Biziuk

The  article  analyzes  the  influence  of  the  human  factor  on  the  reliability  and  safety  of  metro operations, focusing on the methods for assessing the psychophysiological state of train drivers before the start of a work shift. The study examines the current system of human factor monitoring implemented in  the  Kyiv  Metro  and  emphasizes  the  need  for  objective  diagnostic  tools  in  daily  safety  control. Experimental research based on Schulte-Gorbov tables was conducted to evaluate attention stability, perception  speed,  and  cognitive  response  of  metro  drivers.  A  month-long  self-testing  experiment performed before and after shifts revealed statistically significant differences depending on the driver’s condition -normal, drowsy, or fatigued. The analysis demonstrated that fatigue and reduced alertness lead to slower reaction time  and lower concentration, negatively affecting driving safety.  The results confirm the effectiveness of the Schulte test as a practical tool for monitoring the psychophysiological readiness of metro drivers and for preventing human-factor-related errors during transport operations

rail transport; human operator; automated control; ergatic system; psychophysiological state of the driver; testing
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https://doi.org/10.32703/2617-9040-2025-46-14