U.S. Department of 

Transportation 

Federal Railroad 

Administration

Optimizing Staffing Levels and Schedules for 

Railroad Dispatching Centers 

Office of Research 

and Development 

Washington, DC 20590 

DOT/FRA/ORD-04/01 Final Report 

September 2004 

This document is available to the U.S. 

public through the National Technical 

Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. 

This document is also available on the 

FRA web site at www.fra.dot.gov. 
NOTICE 

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the 

Department of Transportation in the interest of information 

exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for 

its contents or use thereof. 

NOTICE 

The United States Government does not endorse products or 

manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein 

solely because they are considered essential to the objective of this 

report. 
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4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 

Optimizing Staffing Levels and Schedules for Railroad Dispatching Centers 

6. AUTHOR(S) 

Judith Gertler, David Nash* 

5. FUNDING NUMBERS 

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Foster-Miller, Inc. 

350 Second Avenue 

Waltham, MA 02451-1196 

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DFRA.010350 

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U.S. Department of Transportation 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Office of Research and Development 

Washington, DC 20590 

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DOT/FRA/ORD-04/01 

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This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, 

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13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) 

This report presents the results of a study to explore approaches to establishing staffing levels and schedules for railroad dispatchers. The 

work was conducted as follow-up to a prior study that found fatigue among dispatchers, particularly those who worked permanent night 

shifts. The present study had four objectives: 1) document current industry practices, 2) assess impact of current schedules on dispatcher 

fatigue, 3) develop methodology for establishing staffing levels, 4) develop alternative scheduling strategies. 

Through site visits to six dispatching operations, current industry approaches to dispatcher staffing and scheduling were documented. All 

six sites have three categories of jobs: regular, relief and extra board. Staffing levels are established through experience and management 

judgment. All of these sites use schedules that are categorized as non self-relieving 3-crew systems with a relief crew. 

The Relief Factor Formulas (RFF), the shift relief factor and the optimal staffing formula, are suggested as alternative methods for 

establishing staffing levels at dispatching centers. These methods compute an objective staffing level based on management criteria and 

historical data for “not at work days.” Staffing projections using the RFF assume that absences are equally likely to occur on any day of 

the week or season of the year so it is possible that there will be a limited number of days when overtime may be necessary. 

Current dispatcher schedules have a number of possible problems with regard to dispatcher fatigue and quality of work life. Alternative 

scheduling strategies that can relieve these are the following: A) Create a three crew self-relieving system, B) Allow fixed weekday shift 

for senior dispatchers and rotate days off for remaining positions, C) Assign relief dispatchers to a single shift and use extra board to cover 

unplanned vacancies on a single shift, D) Convert weekends to two 12-hr shifts. All of these options have the potential to reduce fatigue 

and ease the burden for schedulers who must fill last-minute vacancies.

15. NUMBER OF PAGES 

103 

14. SUBJECT TERMS 

railroad dispatcher, staffing level, schedule design, scheduling system 16. PRICE CODE 

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ii 

METRIC/ENGLISH CONVERSION FACTORS 

ENGLISH TO METRIC METRIC TO ENGLISH

LENGTH (APPROXIMATE) LENGTH (APPROXIMATE) 

1 inch (in) = 2.5 centimeters (cm) 1 millimeter (mm) = 0.04 inch (in) 

1 foot (ft) = 30 centimeters (cm) 1 centimeter (cm) = 0.4 inch (in) 

1 yard (yd) = 0.9 meter (m) 1 meter (m) = 3.3 feet (ft) 

1 mile (mi) = 1.6 kilometers (km) 1 meter (m) = 1.1 yards (yd) 

 1 kilometer (km) = 0.6 mile (mi)

AREA (APPROXIMATE) AREA (APPROXIMATE) 

1 square inch (sq in, in2) = 6.5 square centimeters (cm2) 1 square centimeter (cm2) = 0.16 square inch (sq in, in2) 

1 square foot (sq ft, ft2) = 0.09 square meter (m2) 1 square meter (m2) = 1.2 square yards (sq yd, yd2) 

1 square yard (sq yd, yd2) = 0.8 square meter (m2) 1 square kilometer (km2) = 0.4 square mile (sq mi, mi2) 

1 square mile (sq mi, mi2) = 2.6 square kilometers (km2) 10,000 square meters (m2) = 1 hectare (ha) = 2.5 acres 

1 acre = 0.4 hectare (he) = 4,000 square meters (m2) 

MASS - WEIGHT (APPROXIMATE) MASS - WEIGHT (APPROXIMATE) 

1 ounce (oz) = 28 grams (gm) 1 gram (gm) = 0.036 ounce (oz) 

1 pound (lb) = 0.45 kilogram (kg) 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 pounds (lb) 

1 short ton = 2,000 pounds 

(lb) 

= 0.9 tonne (t) 1 tonne (t) =

=

1,000 kilograms (kg) 

1.1 short tons

VOLUME (APPROXIMATE) VOLUME (APPROXIMATE) 

1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 milliliters (ml) 1 milliliter (ml) = 0.03 fluid ounce (fl oz) 

1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 milliliters (ml) 1 liter (l) = 2.1 pints (pt) 

1 fluid ounce (fl oz) = 30 milliliters (ml) 1 liter (l) = 1.06 quarts (qt) 

1 cup (c) = 0.24 liter (l) 1 liter (l) = 0.26 gallon (gal) 

1 pint (pt) = 0.47 liter (l) 

 1 quart (qt) = 0.96 liter (l) 

1 gallon (gal) = 3.8 liters (l) 

1 cubic foot (cu ft, ft3) = 0.03 cubic meter (m3) 1 cubic meter (m3) = 36 cubic feet (cu ft, ft3) 

1 cubic yard (cu yd, yd3) = 0.76 cubic meter (m3) 1 cubic meter (m3) = 1.3 cubic yards (cu yd, yd3)

TEMPERATURE (EXACT) TEMPERATURE (EXACT) 

[(x-32)(5/9)] °F = y °C [(9/5) y + 32] °C = x °F

QUICK INCH - CENTIMETER LENGTH CONVERSION

0 1 2 34 5

Inches

Centimeters 01 3 2 6 11 4 5 7 13 8 9 10 12

QUICK FAHRENHEIT - CELSIUS TEMPERATURE CONVERSION

 -40° -22° -4° 14° 32° 50° 68° 86° 104° 122° 140° 158° 176° 194° 212°

 

°F

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For more exact and or other conversion factors, see NIST Miscellaneous Publication 286, Units of Weights and 

Measures. Price $2.50 SD Catalog No. C13 10286 Updated 6/17/98
iii

Contents 

Section Page

Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................... vii 

Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 1 

1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 5 

1.1 Background..................................................................................................................... 5 

1.2 Purpose............................................................................................................................ 6 

1.3 Overall Approach............................................................................................................ 7 

1.4 Report Organization........................................................................................................ 7 

2 Current Industry Procedures ................................................................................................... 9 

2.1 Overall Patterns............................................................................................................... 9 

2.2 Conrail Shared Assets................................................................................................... 11 

2.2.1 Nature of the Operation ........................................................................................ 11 

2.2.2 Scheduling System................................................................................................ 11 

2.2.3 Staffing.................................................................................................................. 12 

2.3 Metra Railroad .............................................................................................................. 14 

2.3.1 Nature of the Operation ........................................................................................ 14 

2.3.2 Scheduling System................................................................................................ 15 

2.3.3 Staffing.................................................................................................................. 15 

2.4 Metro-North Railroad ................................................................................................... 16 

2.4.1 Nature of the Operation ........................................................................................ 16 

2.4.2 Scheduling System................................................................................................ 17 

2.4.3 Staffing.................................................................................................................. 17 

2.5 Long Island Rail Road .................................................................................................. 18 

2.5.1 Nature of the Operation ........................................................................................ 18 

2.5.2 Scheduling System................................................................................................ 18 

2.6 Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway.................................................................. 19 

2.6.1 Nature of the Operation ........................................................................................ 19 

2.6.2 Scheduling System................................................................................................ 20 

2.6.3 Staffing.................................................................................................................. 21 

2.7 Union Pacific Railroad.................................................................................................. 22 

2.7.1 Nature of the Operation ........................................................................................ 22 
iv 

2.7.2 Scheduling System................................................................................................ 22 

3 Methodology for Establishing Optimal Staffing Level ........................................................ 25 

3.1 Average Number of Positions to Meet Workload......................................................... 25 

3.2 Relief Factor Formulas ................................................................................................. 27 

3.2.1 Shift Relief Factor................................................................................................. 28 

3.2.2 Application of the SRF ......................................................................................... 29 

3.2.3 Optimal Staffing Formula..................................................................................... 32 

3.2.4 Application of the OSF ......................................................................................... 33 

3.2.5 Determining the Effect of Additional “not at work” Days on Staffing Level ...... 34 

3.2.6 Limits of the Relief Factor Formulas.................................................................... 34 

3.2.7 Protecting Minimum On-Duty Dispatcher Levels................................................ 36 

4 Characteristics of Current Dispatcher Schedules.................................................................. 37 

4.1 Schedule Classification................................................................................................. 37 

4.2 Schedule Characteristics ............................................................................................... 39 

5 Schedule Design Strategies................................................................................................... 45 

5.1 Schedule Design Options.............................................................................................. 45 

5.2 Assessment of the Current Dispatcher Schedule Format.............................................. 45 

5.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of the Current System ................................................ 46 

5.4 Options for Optimizing the Current Dispatcher Scheduling System............................ 47 

5.4.1 Option A: Create three crew self-relieving system.............................................. 47 

5.4.2 Option B: Allow fixed shifts to maximize weekend time off.............................. 48 

5.4.3 Option C: Utilization of relief dispatchers and extra board dispatchers.............. 48 

5.4.4 Option D: Mon – Fri 8-hour shifts, Sat – Sun 12-hour shifts .............................. 49 

6 Conclusions and Recommendations ..................................................................................... 51 

7 References............................................................................................................................. 53 

Appendix A: Capturing Historical Data for Computing Not at Work Days (NAWD) and Staffing 

Level ............................................................................................................................................. 55 

Appendix B: Calculating Staffing Level For Non-Standard Shift Lengths.................................. 57 

Appendix C: Representative Dispatcher Schedules and Raster Plots........................................... 59 

Appendix D: Alternate Schedule Formats .................................................................................... 89 

Abbreviations................................................................................................................................ 93 
v

Illustrations 

Figure 1. Sample Conrail weekly dispatcher schedule form ........................................................ 13 

Figure 2. Total staff as function of not at work days and average daily shift positions ............... 35 

Figure 3. Typical Dispatching Center Schedule ........................................................................... 38 

Figure 4. Sample raster plot for extra board position ................................................................... 40 
vi 

Tables 

Table 1. Characteristics of case study sites..................................................................................... 9 

Table 2. Vacation accrual rate for Conrail.................................................................................... 14 

Table 3. Sick leave accrual rate for Conrail.................................................................................. 14 

Table 4. Personal days accrual rate for Conrail ............................................................................ 14 

Table 5. Vacation accrual rate for Metra ...................................................................................... 16 

Table 6. Personal day accrual rate for Metra ................................................................................ 16 

Table 7. BNSF dispatcher vacation, personal and sick day accrual rates..................................... 22 

Table 8. Staffing requirements by day.......................................................................................... 26 

Table 9. Staffing requirements by shift and day of week ............................................................. 27 

Table 10. Average number of daily positions by shift.................................................................. 27 

Table 11. Typical shift relief factors as function of number of days of operation ....................... 28 

Table 12. Average benefit and other time off............................................................................... 30 

Table 13. Annual not at work days (NAWD) per dispatcher by shift .......................................... 30 

Table 14. Shift Relief Factor by shift............................................................................................ 31 

Table 15. Calculation of Optimal Staffing Levels by shift........................................................... 31 

Table 16. Optimal Staffing Levels by shift................................................................................... 32

Table 17. Dispatching center with differences in staffing needs by shift..................................... 33 

Table 18. Example of deficit staffing ........................................................................................... 36 

Table 19. Characteristics of current schedules at dispatching centers.......................................... 41 

Table 20. Typical fixed 6 – 2, 7 – 2, 7 – 4 schedule.................................................................... 48 

Table 21. Typical fixed 8 and 12-hour schedule........................................................................... 49 
vii

Acknowledgements 

This report presents the results of a research study to examine railroad industry practices with 

regard to the staffing and scheduling of dispatchers and to suggest alternative strategies that have 

the potential to alleviate the potentially fatiguing characteristics of present schedules and 

improve the quality of work life of dispatchers. The work was performed under contract 

DTFR53-95-C-00049 with guidance from Mr. Michael Coplen of the Office of Research and 

Development, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Dr. Thomas Raslear, also of FRA, 

recognized the need for this research and contributed to the design of the study. The authors 

especially wish to thank the six railroads that arranged for representatives of the study team to 

visit their facilities and meet with individuals involved in the processes for establishing staffing 

levels and scheduling dispatchers. These same railroads also provided representative dispatcher 

schedule data for their operations. Without this data the analysis described in this report would 

not have been possible. 

The authors also wish to thank two individuals from Foster-Miller for their support during this 

project. Dr. Stephen Popkin, formerly with Foster-Miller, contributed to the initial study design 

and participated in several site visits. Ms. Susan McDonough assisted with the analysis of the 

six sets of dispatcher schedules and prepared all of the raster plots in Appendix C. 

1

Executive Summary 

The nature of railroading requires around-the-clock operation. Consequently, railroad personnel 

responsible for maintaining, servicing and operating this critical sector of the nation’s 

transportation system must work at times outside the weekday hours common in many other 

industries. Railroad dispatchers are responsible for planning, coordinating and monitoring the 

safe and efficient movement of trains over the rail network. These employees perform a safety 

critical job in a time-sensitive environment. Their attention and concentration on routing of 

trains is key to the efficiency of the railroad’s operations and the safety of its employees, the 

public and the environment. 

Both work schedules and staffing levels can affect performance and safety. Schedules that 

require rapid rotations and compression of rest days can adversely affect shiftworkers’ on-the-job 

alertness. Inadequate staffing levels may result in excessive overtime and utilization of staff on 

scheduled off-duty days. In some of these circumstances organizations may pay premium rates 

for sub-optimal, fatigue-impaired performance caused by loss of recovery time due to working 

on scheduled rest days. It is also possible that payroll costs may exceed those expended when an 

adequate work force is employed to meet service levels, without the need to rely on overtime and 

working days off. Over the long term, organizations with low staffing or traditional schedules 

may incur substantial health and safety consequences. They may also incur significant hidden 

costs, such as liability for personal injury, absenteeism and turnover, all of which can adversely 

affect competitiveness and profitability. 

A recent FRA-sponsored study examined workload, stress and fatigue of railroad dispatchers. 

Dispatchers reported increasing levels of fatigue throughout all shifts, but the ratings for the 

night shift were significantly higher than those for the day and evening shifts. This research also 

found that dispatchers who worked nights reported “waking up tired” more frequently than those 

working days or evenings. Not surprisingly, the night workers were the most likely group to use 

split sleep and naps to obtain adequate rest. Overall, the results of this study indicated that 

dispatchers display characteristics typical for other shiftworkers, regardless of type of work. 

Work schedules have been shown to greatly affect workers’ performance, health and well-being. 

The impact of work schedules holds even greater importance in safety-critical jobs such as 

railroad dispatching, that require highly developed cognitive skills and vigilance. Yet, to date, 

there has been no attempt to assess the types of work schedules currently employed for railroad 

dispatchers. 

The purpose of the research described in this report was to identify current staffing and 

scheduling strategies and, if appropriate, explore alternative strategies to current railroad industry 

practices with regard to the staffing level for dispatching operations and the scheduling of 

railroad dispatchers. Of particular concern were potential fatigue and quality of work life. The 

project had the following goals: 

• Document current industry approaches to dispatcher staffing and scheduling. 

• Assess impact of current schedules on sleep and fatigue. 

• Develop or adapt a methodology for objectively determining optimal dispatcher 

staffing levels. 

• Develop alternatives to current dispatcher scheduling systems. 
2

The overall approach involved examination of current industry practices with regard to 

establishing staffing levels and scheduling dispatchers. Site visits to six dispatching centers 

provided insights on current industry practices. A method, used in many other industries, for 

establishing the optimal staffing level, was applied to dispatching operations. Then current 

dispatcher scheduling systems were characterized in terms of potential fatigue and quality of 

work life. Finally, alternative strategies that correct some of the problems with the current 

scheduling system were developed drawing on experiences in other industries. 

All dispatching centers have three categories of jobs: regular, relief and extra board. Regular 

jobs work five consecutive days on the same shift followed by two days off. Relief jobs fill in 

for regular dispatchers on their assigned days off and may rotate through different shifts. Relief 

jobs usually work a regular schedule of five consecutive days followed by two days off, but extra 

board dispatchers who fill in for regular and relief dispatchers, do not always work a regular 

schedule although they are guaranteed five paid working days a week. This standard dispatcher 

staffing model exposes both the extra board dispatchers to rapid and constant shift changes that 

can be physiologically fatiguing. In addition, extra board dispatchers have no regular work or 

rest patterns because they either fill for regular dispatchers on planned vacancies or cover shortterm vacancies. The current schedules are a product primarily of the Hours of Service Act and 

the labor agreement between the railroad and its dispatchers. 

Responsibility for the weekly schedule lies with the chief dispatcher, the scheduling clerk or, in 

the case of the large Class I railroads, a separately staffed scheduling department. Based on a 

sample of actual schedules provided by six railroads, someone other than the regularly scheduled 

dispatcher may be required to work a shift position from 10 to 25 percent of the time. Hours of 

Service and desk qualifications constrain the options available to the scheduler in filling a 

vacancy and many times a solution must be found on short notice. 

Staffing levels at dispatching centers appear to be the product of management experience and 

judgment rather than a rigorous analysis. Relief Factor Formulas (RFF), specifically the shift 

relief factor (SRF) and the optimal staffing formula (OSF), are more objective alternatives that 

provide a systematic process for establishing staffing levels. The SRF is suitable for operations 

where the staffing by shift is consistent for every day of the week and the OSF, a variant of the 

SRF, is applied when staffing is not consistent. Both of these methods require historical data for 

the dispatching center regarding average absences for its dispatching staff. This data includes 

vacation days, sick days, training days and any other absences that the center allows. Both the 

SRF and the OSF will be a number greater than one. This value suggests the number of 

employees needed to staff one desk on one shift over the course of the week. For desks that 

operate 7 days per week on an 8-hr shift, the SRF will be in the range of 1.5 to 1.8. 

When applying the RFF, two basic principles must be kept in mind: 

1. Because the RFF are calculated using average employee work data, staffing projections 

using relief factor calculations are only valid as averages used over an extended period of 

time. 

2. Calculations based on Relief Factor Formulas assume that absences are equally likely to 

occur on any day of the week or season of the year. 

All of the railroads reviewed for this study follow the same schedule format: a 3-shift system 

with a relief crew filling in on the scheduled days off for the permanently assigned dispatchers 
3

and an extra board to cover both planned and unplanned vacancies. These schedules are 

categorized as non self-relieving 3-crew systems with a relief crew. The major problems with 

this type of scheduling system in terms of potential fatigue and quality of work life are the 

following: 

• Less than one quarter of the dispatchers have two weekend days off per week. Less than 

half have one weekend day off per week. 

• Relief dispatchers are likely to work a rapidly rotating schedule. 

• Extra board dispatchers are not assured of the opportunity for two consecutive days off. 

• Extra board dispatchers are subject to an unpredictable irregular schedule that is likely to 

involve a rapidly rotating schedule. 

Alternative scheduling strategies that can relieve at least some of the above consequences are the 

following: 

A. Create a three crew self-relieving system. 

B. With “A” as a prerequisite, allow fixed weekday shifts for senior dispatchers and rotate 

days off for the remaining positions to equally distribute weekend time off. 

C. With “A” as a prerequisite, assign relief dispatchers within a single shift and use extra 

board dispatchers to cover unplanned vacancies on a single shift. 

D. Convert Saturdays and Sundays to two 12-hr shifts. 

The extra board creates problems for not only the dispatchers who work those jobs but also 

railroad management. Schedulers, who have the responsibility for securing a replacement 

dispatcher, many times must accomplish this task on short notice. The four suggested options 

offer alternative strategies for reducing the problems with the present arrangement. However, 

implementation of any of these strategies will require teamwork from both labor and 

management. Once a strategy is chosen, potential impediments to implementation can be 

addressed. A pilot test of a new scheduling arrangement for one division within a large 

dispatching center might be a first step. Since the focus of this study was on developing 

schedules in consideration of human physiology and quality of work life, railroads will likely 

want to examine economic consequences of any change in either staffing level or schedule. 

5

1 Introduction 

1.1 Background 

Safe, efficient and reliable railroad systems are vital to the health, growth and competitiveness of 

the nation’s economy. While significant technological advances have enhanced the safety and 

performance of this transportation mode, no equivalent advances have occurred or will occur in 

human physiology. Yet, because people occupy a central and safety-critical role in the operation 

of railroads, appreciable enhancement of human reliability and performance is essential to 

sustain the advancement of safety and performance. 

The nature of railroading, the movement of goods and people, requires around-the-clock 

operation to reach distant destinations in a competitive and time efficient manner. Consequently, 

many thousands of personnel responsible for maintaining, servicing and operating this critical 

transportation service work shifts, or even irregular unpredictable work patterns, having varying 

start times and duty periods. The need to operate unscheduled trains that are assembled and run 

based on customer demands, traffic volumes and priorities, many times complicated by weather 

conditions, determines the schedule of train crews. 

The work patterns of another group of safety-critical employees, dispatchers, although normally 

more predictable than those of train crews, also involve around-the-clock work. Dispatchers are 

responsible for planning, coordinating and monitoring the safe and efficient movement of “trains 

and other vehicles/equipment that travel on or along the rail safely and efficiently, and [for] 

protecting those individuals who work on or around the track” (Reinach, Gertler & Kuehn, 

1998). They do so in accordance with set rules and policies and by employing various train 

control systems. Dispatchers perform essential safety critical jobs in a time-sensitive 

environment. Their attention and concentration on routing of trains is key to the efficiency of 

railroad operations and the safety of its employees, the environment and the public. Dispatcher 

errors resulting in conflicting train movements may lead to accidents. 

Shiftwork is defined as any pattern of work in which most of the work hours are outside the 

period 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. As most dispatching centers provide monitoring and train control 

services around-the-clock, seven days a week, dispatchers are considered shiftworkers. 

Shiftwork and night work can pose exceptional challenges to human performance, due to sleep 

loss and circadian disruption. Research has also shown that individuals who are shiftworkers 

have higher rates of health problems and accumulate a higher sleep debt than individuals who 

work during daylight hours (Wedderburn, 2000). 

Work schedules, particularly those of safety-critical shiftworkers, can affect performance and 

safety. Schedules that require rapid rotations and compression of rest days can adversely affect 

shiftworkers’ sleep duration and quality, leading to sleep deprivation and overall disruption of 

the sleep-wake cycle. This can result in chronic fatigue, the manifestations of which can include 

poor job performance, increased sickness, errors and accidents. Inadequate staffing levels may 

result in excessive overtime and utilization of staff on scheduled off-duty days. In these 

circumstances organizations often pay premium rates for sub-optimal, fatigue-impaired 

performance caused by loss of recovery time due to working on scheduled rest days. It is also 

possible that payroll costs may exceed those expended when an adequate work force is employed 

to meet service levels, without the need to rely on overtime and working on days off. Over the 

long term, organizations with inadequate staffing or traditional schedules may incur substantial 
6

health and safety consequences. They may also incur significant hidden costs, such as liability 

for personal injury, absenteeism and turnover, all of which can adversely affect competitiveness 

and profitability. 

A recent FRA-sponsored study examined workload, stress and fatigue of railroad dispatchers 

through a field study. Dispatchers reported increasing levels of fatigue throughout all shifts, but 

the ratings for the night shift were significantly higher than those for the day and evening shifts. 

This research also found that dispatchers who worked nights reported “waking up tired” more 

frequently than those working days or evenings. Not surprisingly, the night workers were the 

most likely group to use split sleep and naps to obtain adequate rest. Overall, the results of this 

study indicated that dispatchers display characteristics typical for shiftworkers, regardless of type 

of work (Popkin, Gertler & Reinach, 2001). 

Work schedules have been shown to greatly affect workers’ performance, health and well-being. 

The impact of work schedules holds even greater importance in safety-critical jobs, such as 

railroad dispatching, that require highly developed cognitive skills and vigilance. Yet to date, 

there has been no attempt to assess the types of work schedules currently employed in the 

railroad industry for dispatchers. 

While good schedule design may appear to require only a limited number of mechanical 

calculations aimed at identifying staffing requirements to meet job load, this is not the case. 

Other less tangible but equally important factors, such as adequate recovery time, need to be 

integrated into work schedule design to ensure railroad safety, performance and dispatcher wellbeing within budgetary limits. 

1.2 Purpose 

The purpose of the research described in this report was to explore alternatives to current railroad 

industry practices with regard to the staffing level for dispatching operations and the scheduling 

of railroad dispatchers. The project had the following goals: 

• Document current industry approaches to dispatcher staffing and scheduling. 

• Assess impact of current schedules on sleep and fatigue. 

• Develop or adapt a methodology for objectively determining optimal dispatcher 

staffing levels. 

• Develop alternatives to current dispatcher scheduling systems. 

In addition to providing information to the FRA, this report is designed to serve as a resource for 

railroad officials, at both passenger and freight railroads, who oversee dispatching operations and 

are responsible for determining staffing requirements and establishing schedules. As each 

dispatching center is unique in terms of workload, size and dispatching technology, the methods 

and findings of this analysis are intended as a guide to optimization of dispatching center staffing 

levels and work schedules. 
7

1.3 Overall Approach 

The overall approach to this project began with an examination of current industry practices for 

establishing staffing levels1

 and scheduling dispatchers. Site visits to six railroad dispatching 

centers and interviews with dispatching operations management provided insights on current 

industry practice and experience. Development of optimal work schedule strategies began with a 

staffing analysis to determine optimal staffing levels. The staffing analysis is based on an 

examination of days that dispatchers are not available to work or “not at work days.” Then 

characterization of the current schedule in terms of potential fatigue and quality of work life led 

to identification of its potentially problematic aspects. Alternative strategies that correct some of 

the problems with the current scheduling system were developed drawing on experiences in 

other industries. 

1.4 Report Organization 

Section 2 describes current industry practices with regard to staffing and scheduling of 

dispatching centers, both overall and specifically for six individual railroads. A methodology for 

establishing the optimal staffing level is the subject of Section 3. Section 4 assesses current 

schedules in terms of factors that are potentially problematic with respect to worker fatigue and 

quality of work life, and Section 5 identifies four alternative strategies that can correct or reduce 

the schedule problems. The conclusions and recommendations of the research are presented in 

Section 6. References are listed in Section 7 and four Appendices contain supporting data and 

explanatory material. 

 

1

 Staffing level refers to the total number of dispatchers at a dispatching center. 

9

2 Current Industry Procedures 

A prerequisite to exploring alternatives to current dispatcher schedules is an understanding of 

current industry procedures. Site visits to six railroads provided the means to become familiar 

with current practices. Table 1 presents the characteristics of the six sites that were visited. The 

six railroads represent Class I, commuter and switching/terminal railroads. The purpose of the 

site visits was to gather information about the railroad’s current processes for determining the 

appropriate staffing level, establishing schedules and filling planned and unplanned vacancies. 

Each of the six railroads also provided a description of current work assignments and one month 

of data to illustrate planned vs. actual work assignments. Subsection 2.1 provides an overview of 

industry practices with regard to the staffing and scheduling of railroad dispatching centers. The 

subsequent sections describe each dispatching operation and provide information on processes 

for establishing staffing levels and schedules and managing vacancies. 

Table 1. Characteristics of case study sites 

Type of 

Railroad 

Number 

of Desks/ 

Chiefs 

Total 

Staff 

Location of 

Dispatching 

Center 

Conrail Shared 

Assets 

Switching/

Terminal 

3/1 24 Mt. Laurel, NJ 

Metra Railroad Commuter 4/1 24 Chicago 

Metro-North 

Railroad 

Commuter 10/2 52 New York City 

Long Island Rail 

Road 

Commuter 5/1 33 Jamaica, NY 

Burlington Northern 

and Santa Fe 

Railway 

Class I 98 518 Ft. Worth, TX 

Union Pacific Class I N/A 375 Omaha, NE 

2.1 Overall Patterns 

The nature of railroad operations requires that dispatchers work around the clock. To meet the 

demands of 24-hr operation, for the most part, railroads staff their dispatching centers with three 

8-hr shifts. There are three categories of jobs in all dispatching centers: regular jobs, relief jobs 

and extra board jobs. Regular jobs work five consecutive days on the same shift followed by two 

days off. Relief jobs fill in for regular dispatchers on their assigned days off and may rotate 

through different shifts. (In other industries this is referred to as a “grasshopper crew.”) As is 

the case with the regular jobs, relief jobs usually work five consecutive days followed by two 

days off. The extra board dispatchers fill in for regular and relief dispatchers during vacations, 

training and road days and when there is an unplanned absence. On occasion, a regular 

dispatcher on a rest day may fill a vacancy if an extra board dispatcher is not available. All of 
10

the operations described in the following sections have a guaranteed extra board. This means 

that every extra board dispatcher is guaranteed five paid workdays every week, but the days and 

shifts that each individual works are not fixed. In addition, most agreements do not guarantee 

two consecutive days off for extra board dispatchers. Although most railroads no longer have 

tower or block operators, in those locations that do (e.g., Metra and the Long Island Rail Road), 

the tower operators may serve as the pool of extra board dispatchers. This situation is the 

exception rather than the rule. 

The current schedules are a product of a number of factors. Most important are the Hours of 

Service regulations and the labor agreement between the railroad and its dispatchers. The Hours 

of Service Act requires that a dispatcher may not remain on duty for more than 9 hr, whether 

consecutive or in the aggregate, in any 24-hr period in operations that employ two or more shifts. 

Where only one shift is employed, the dispatcher may remain on duty up to 12 hr in any 24-hr 

period. During an emergency situation, the regulations allow dispatchers to remain on duty for 

an additional 4 hr in any 24-hr period for a maximum of three days over the course of seven 

consecutive days. (49 C.F.R. § 228) These regulations limit the length of the dispatcher’s shift 

and provide for a minimum rest period between shifts. 

The labor agreement typically stipulates provisions for hourly wages, vacation days, sick time 

and other benefit days off. It will also provide for a seniority-based method for assigning work. 

Since all dispatchers earn the same hourly wage after five years on the job, allowing the most 

senior dispatchers to choose the job that they work rewards longevity on the job. (“Job” refers to 

the specific shift and days on duty.) The labor agreement will provide the rules as to how the 

seniority system works. The seniority rules may also govern the assignment of overtime, which 

is typically paid at 11⁄2 times the regular hourly rate. Some dispatchers are anxious to work 

overtime while others, typically the more senior dispatchers, prefer to work only their regular 

40-hr week. 

Depending upon the size of the operation, responsibility for the weekly schedule lies with the 

chief dispatcher, the scheduling clerk or, in the case of the large Class I railroads, a separately 

staffed department that manages the dispatcher schedules. Each of the railroads visited as part of 

this study provided one month of actual dispatcher schedules for examination. Based on this 

small sample, the percentage of shifts that were staffed by someone other than the regularly 

scheduled dispatcher ranged from 10 percent to 25 percent. For example, for a center that has 

300 shift positions over a four-week period, the individual(s) responsible for the schedule are 

likely to have to find replacement dispatchers, from either the extra board pool or the regular or 

relief dispatchers between 30 and 75 times over a month. The limitations of the Hours of Service 

requirements and the desk qualifications of each individual dispatcher complicate this 

replacement process. Since many replacement assignments are due to vacations and other 

planned absences, these assignments do not create the level of last minute uncertainty that these 

figures might imply. 

Most schedulers have developed paper and pencil methods to schedule dispatchers at their 

operation. The larger Class I railroads have developed software to assist their schedulers with 

the task. Regardless of the method used, the individuals who perform this task are proficient at 

it. Just as dispatchers can work out complicated train movements, schedulers are able to work 

out strategies for filling vacancies. The strategy may involve re-assigning several dispatchers 

due to desk qualifications and Hours of Service limits. On rare occasions the only feasible 
11

solution to a vacancy may violate the Hours of Service rules. In these cases, the FRA may 

impose a fine. 

Since the basic structure of the dispatching jobs2 tends to remain the same, unless there is realignment of territories or a merger of dispatching operations, the primary responsibility of the 

schedulers is to handle scheduled vacancies and unplanned absences. The unplanned absences 

are more difficult because of the short notice involved. 

Staffing levels tend to remain constant over time unless changes in traffic or a merger necessitate 

the addition of new desks. The staffing level is usually determined based on the experience and 

judgment of management rather than a rigorous analysis. 

2.2 Conrail Shared Assets 

2.2.1 Nature of the Operation 

Conrail Shared Assets, owned jointly by CSX and Norfolk Southern, is effectively a switching 

and terminal railroad. The dispatching center, located in Mt. Laurel, NJ, has three desks plus an 

assistant chief. (Prior to the breakup of Conrail this center had an additional 11 desks.) The train 

volume and train mix varies by territory. All desks are in operation for all shifts, seven days a 

week, with shift changeovers occurring at 7 a.m., 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. Each of the four 

dispatching desks has four permanent positions, first trick3, second trick, third trick and a relief 

position. In addition, a rotating relief position works one day unassigned to a specific desk, then 

one position on each of the four desks over the week. 

The territories controlled from this center are a mix of centralized train control (CTC), track 

warrant control and dark territory. Two of the three territories still have a limited number of 

block operators. This mix of different technologies, and therefore, different training, impacts 

position scheduling and staffing. Currently there is a total of 24 people who staff the center, ten 

of whom have less than two years of experience. There are between eight and twelve dispatchers 

qualified for each desk. Nine dispatchers are qualified on more than one desk, one qualifying on 

all four. Job tenure is fairly evenly distributed among dispatchers qualified for each desk. Those 

dispatchers qualified on multiple desks tend to cluster in the middle of the job tenure continuum. 

2.2.2 Scheduling System 

The current work schedule has been in place since the beginning of Conrail. Scheduling is a 

manual task performed with pencil and paper sheets; no special software is used. The scheduling 

clerk prepares the weekly schedule on a paper form. (See Figure 1.) The current assignment 

clerk, who creates these schedules, was trained by his predecessor and had 1 month of on-the-job 

training. The assignment clerk also handles the scheduling for four block stations in North 

Jersey and three block stations in Detroit. In addition, this person handles the payroll for all 

dispatchers and block operators as well as all yardmasters and clerks in the Operations 

Department. 

Unexpected vacancies in the work schedule due to illness or other emergency situations are 

addressed in several ways. If the dispatcher calls in sick between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. MondayFriday, s/he will speak directly with the assignment clerk. After hours and on weekends, the 

 

2

 Job refers to a pattern of daily work periods and assigned days off. 

3

 Trick is a railroad term referring to shift. 
12

dispatcher calls the assistant chief dispatcher desk to mark off. Filling these vacancies is covered 

under the collective bargaining agreement, and is based upon seniority, qualifications and Hours 

of Service constraints. Under the collective bargaining agreement the extra list must be available 

3 hr prior to the start of each shift. For this reason, dispatchers are asked to give at least 3 hr 

lead-time for schedule changes. Because the center is adequately staffed, little overtime is 

available, but when required, overtime is paid at time and one half rate. 

Vacation scheduling is handled in a systematic manner. A vacation calendar is prepared several 

months prior to the start of the new year. Vacation weeks are bid on and assigned based on 

seniority with the constraint that only three people may take vacation simultaneously. Single 

vacation days may be taken with 48 hr notice provided there is an extra dispatcher to fill the 

vacancy. 

2.2.3 Staffing 

The length of employment determines the number of vacation, sick and personal days that each 

employee earns. Tables 2 through 4 break down the number of days by job tenure. There are no 

holiday or shift pay differentials. Dispatchers on the extra board are guaranteed 40 hr work a 

week. Management feels the center is adequately staffed as evidenced by the small (less than 

five) number of Hours of Service violations incurred during the preceding year. 

After 25 years of service, dispatchers have approximately 50 days per year away from their 

normal position (25 vacation days, 10 sick days, 10 personal days and 5 road days). These nonworkdays, which account for about 10 percent of total position time, have to be added into the 

staffing requirements via the appropriate number of extra board personnel. 

This center requires a minimum of 17 people to cover all shifts over the four desks. Center 

management determines this number as follows: 

(12 positions X 7 days = 84 slots / 5 shifts per dispatcher) = 16.8 people 

The center currently has 24 dispatchers or seven beyond the minimum workforce. The 

additional staff of seven dispatchers compensates for the various off times. Management feels 

that this approach to staffing has led to an appropriate number of dispatchers at the Mt. Laurel 

operation. 
13

Figure 1. Sample Conrail weekly dispatcher schedule form 

Figure 1. Sample Conrail weekly dispatcher schedule form 
14

Table 2. Vacation accrual rate for Conrail 

Years of Service Vacation (weeks) 

1 2 

9 3 

17 4 

25 5 

Table 3. Sick leave accrual rate for Conrail 

Years of Service Sick Leave (days) 

1 2 

2 4 

5 6 

10 10 

Table 4. Personal days accrual rate for Conrail 

Years of Service Personal Leave (days) 

1 2 

3 4 

6 8 

9 10 

2.3 Metra Railroad 

2.3.1 Nature of the Operation 

Metra is a commuter rail operation that dispatches its trains from its Consolidated Control 

Facility (CCF) in Chicago. Currently the CCF has five desks. Three desks operate around the 

clock seven days a week; the fourth desk is staffed for only first and second tricks Monday 

through Friday and the fifth desk operates two shifts, six days a week. Shift changeovers occur 

at 6 a.m., 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. Currently 23 qualified dispatchers staff the CCF. Twenty 

dispatchers hold regular assignments, including four regular relief, two guaranteed extra board 

positions and one Assistant Chief. The remaining three individuals hold positions in towers and 

function as the extra board. The relief dispatchers work a fast forward rotating work schedule of 
15

two days, two afternoons and one night each week. An effort is made to provide consecutive off 

days to all extra board dispatchers, but this is not always possible. 

Metra qualifies trainees on all five desks to facilitate the filling of vacancies. The dispatcher 

must work a desk at least once during the year to retain his/her qualification for the position. 

2.3.2 Scheduling System 

The Senior Manager Train Operations is responsible for scheduling. The same system has been 

in place at Metra since the opening of the CCF in 1994. There is no formal training for work 

scheduling at this point but the Senior Manager Train Operations feels that he could easily train 

another individual through on-the-job training. Given the size of the work force, the Senior 

Manager Train Operations is able to manage the task with a paper-and-pencil system employing 

calendar forms. An easy to read calendar is prepared monthly for each desk in the CCF. Work 

schedules are produced at least one month in advance and are placed in each extra board 

dispatcher’s mailbox. 

Metra currently uses scheduling software for scheduling train and engine crews. The software 

takes into account seniority, Hours of Service rules, and labor agreement information in 

arranging the work schedules. The CCF management indicated that they would find this type of 

tool helpful for dispatcher scheduling and they hope to have an automated tool at some point in 

the future, particularly if the CCF expands. 

Advance notice for a personal day is 48 hr. For a sick day there is no prescribed advance notice 

but CCF management asks that employees call with enough advance notice so that a replacement 

can be identified and called. When a dispatcher calls in sick or requests a personal day, a 

replacement is selected based on Hours of Service and seniority. Relief and extra board 

dispatchers are tapped before contacting the permanent staff for an overtime assignment. The 

Senior Manager Train Operations handles changes during first trick, the Chief handles them 

during second trick and during third trick and on weekends the crew callers identify a 

replacement. 

Vacation time is bid on in September and reviewed in November. The dispatchers must indicate 

their first and second choices for their vacation time. Vacation assignments are based on 

seniority. 

Procedures for filling longer-term vacancies are governed by Metra’s union agreement. A shortterm vacancy is one that is less than 30 days duration. If a guaranteed extra board dispatcher is 

not available, then one of the extra board dispatchers fills this type of vacancy. The availability 

of the guaranteed extra board dispatchers, not seniority, determines which one fills the position. 

The first one to mark up as available gets the assignment. A temporary vacancy, defined as a 

vacancy of more than 30 days but less than six months, is posted and the most senior dispatcher 

requesting the position fills the position. If the vacancy will exceed six months, then the job is 

advertised as a permanent position and it is filled based on the seniority of the applicants. 

There are seasonal variations in workload, mostly due to heavy track maintenance in the summer 

time. If the desk becomes too busy, as determined by management, it is split and staffed by 

relief and extra board personnel for its duration. 

2.3.3 Staffing 

CCF management feels they currently have adequate staff, as evidenced by the fact that in the 

first half of 2000 there were only three instances where a staffing problem resulted in an 
16

assignment that exceeded Hours of Service limitations. Dispatcher retention is quite high, 

currently losing less than one per year. 

Metra dispatchers receive a number of benefits and have the opportunity to occasionally earn 

premium pay. Per Metra’s labor agreement, all dispatchers are entitled to ten sick days a year. 

The numbers of vacation and personal days are commensurate with the number of qualifying 

years with Metra, as defined by the agreement. 

Table 5 and Table 6 show, respectively, the vacation and personal day accrual rates for Metra 

dispatchers. 

Overtime at Metra is paid at the time and a half rate. As is the case with many other commuter 

railroads, beginning in 2000, holiday work at Metra is also paid at 1.5 times the regular rate. 

Table 5. Vacation accrual rate for Metra 

Years of Service Vacation (Weeks) 

1 1 

2 2 

7 3 

17 4 

25 5 

Table 6. Personal day accrual rate for Metra 

Years of Service Personal Leave (Days) 

1 1 

8 2 

17 3 

20 4 

2.4 Metro-North Railroad 

2.4.1 Nature of the Operation 

Metro-North Railroad dispatches its commuter operation from its Operations Control Center 

(OCC) at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The OCC has ten desks staffed by 52 

dispatchers–41 permanent positions and 11 guaranteed utility or extra board. All desks are 

staffed weekdays first and second trick, and five desks are staffed nights and weekends (third 

trick Friday through end of second trick Sunday). Shift changeovers occur at 6:45 a.m., 2:45 

p.m., and 10:45 p.m. The morning rush hour runs from 6 to 10 a.m., with 7 to 9 a.m. being the 
17

busiest period, and the afternoon rush hour is from 4 to 8 p.m. The scheduling workweek is 

Wednesday through Tuesday. 

2.4.2 Scheduling System 

The first trick schedule clerk constructs schedules using Microsoft Excel. Scheduling is 

accomplished through the use of qualification sheets, past work schedules, and knowledge of 

seniority. Work schedules are posted at least 48 hr ahead of time, though permanent position 

dispatchers generally know their schedules for the year. When a dispatcher calls in sick, the 

utility or extra board is used to fill the slot (known as wild positions) based on qualifications, 

seniority and Hours of Service constraints. The schedule clerk handles schedule changes during 

first trick. If a dispatcher calls during second or third trick to mark off, then the chief or assistant 

chief makes the necessary schedule changes. By agreement, all dispatchers, including the extra 

board dispatchers, must have two consecutive off days. If this is not possible, then the dispatcher 

must be paid overtime. 

Metro-North management is satisfied with the current scheduling system. They feel it is 

effective, as evidenced by the fact that only 64 hr of overtime (spread across nine shifts) was 

required during a recent holiday week. Only in extremely rare weather situations have Hours of 

Service violations occurred. 

Vacation time is bid between November and January for the coming year. The schedule clerk 

must assure that all vacation time is assigned for each dispatcher. Vacation slots are awarded 

based on seniority, but no more than six dispatchers may be off for any one-week period, though 

seven dispatchers may be off for a one-day period. Under union agreement, sick time must be 

called in at least 8 hr ahead of the shift otherwise sick day payment can be withheld. Eight hr is 

usually enough time to reschedule without difficulties, but dispatchers must request personal 

days at least 48 hr ahead, otherwise the request may not be granted. 

Positions that will become open cannot be advertised until the incumbent has officially vacated 

the position. These positions are filled through a seniority bidding process. When a position 

opens up temporarily but for at least five consecutive days, dispatchers can submit Hold Down 

applications, enabling them to switch their regular shift/desk with the open one. (Hold Downs 

are awarded on the basis of seniority.) A temporary opening can lead to a cascade effect if many 

dispatchers wish to work other positions, but this situation does not arise very often. 

Both the number of desks at the OCC and the work schedules tend to remain unchanged from 

year to year. There are no more than one or two changes to the nominal work schedule within a 

calendar year. Rarely is a desk split and it is always done due to extraordinary workload 

considerations (for example, heavy MOW at night). If a permanently assigned dispatcher is 

moved involuntarily, then the company is required to pay an additional penalty payment. 

2.4.3 Staffing 

There are 41 permanent dispatchers and 11 extra board dispatchers at this facility. Full pay for a 

dispatcher is approximately $35 per hour. New hires are paid 70 percent of this full pay their 

initial year after first qualifying on a desk. Subsequently they receive 75 percent, 80 percent, 85 

percent, and 90 percent for their second through fifth years, after which they receive full pay. 

The rate is adjusted yearly by 2.5 to 3 percent to reflect cost of living adjustments. Railroad 

employees switching crafts into dispatching will retain their previous rate until they qualify on a 
18

desk. Once qualified, the dispatcher will either keep his or her current rate or take the 70 percent 

dispatcher rate, whichever is greater. 

Turnover rate is very low at this center, at most two people per year. Once hired, replacement 

dispatcher trainees take two to three months of classroom time to train a new dispatcher and then 

another three months of posting prior to qualifying for their first desk position. Nearly all new 

hires make it through the training process and become dispatchers. 

Metro-North dispatchers receive a number of benefits and have several ways to earn premium 

pay. The number of vacation days is based on seniority, ranging from two to five weeks after the 

first year is completed. Twelve sick/personal days are also provided to each employee, though 

very few take all these days. There are 11 holidays in which a pay rate of 21⁄2 times the regular 

rate is applied. Overtime is paid at a rate of 11⁄2 times the regular rate and is therefore minimized. 

An additional 15 min is paid to each dispatcher transferring into a single desk, and 20 min for 

transferring into a double (collapsed) desk. 

A dispatcher must be qualified on both the desk and the shift. At any time there are four or five 

Metro-North extra board dispatchers who know each territory and shift. The current number of 

dispatchers and the dispersion of their qualifications seems adequate as the railroad exceeds 

Hours of Service limits at most only three or four times a year. 

The current staffing level was not the result of a rigorous analysis. Rather, it evolved from 

budgetary constraints. Senior management determines the center’s staff budget within which the 

Center’s manager must operate. The Vice President of Operations is the only person able to 

create new positions, and would only do so 1) to cut cost (from overtime or violations) or 2) if 

there were a “significant risk of probable harm.” Positions can be traded with other operating 

divisions, however, if the manager has the budget to support an additional position. 

2.5 Long Island Rail Road 

2.5.1 Nature of the Operation 

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is the largest commuter operation in the country. It has a 

non-centralized dispatching operation consisting of 13 towers, each staffed by some combination 

of train movement directors and block/tower operators, and five dispatching desks located at the 

LIRR Operations Center in Jamaica Station. 

The LIRR distinguishes three types of dispatchers: permanent, relief and utility (extra board). 

Both permanent and relief dispatchers are on permanent assignments while utility board 

dispatchers are used to fill the gaps in the day-to-day schedules. Shift changeovers for the 

dispatchers are staggered between desks. Three desks have changeovers at 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., 

while the other two change at 7 a.m., 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. Two of the desks work 24/7, two work 

16/5 and one works 16/6. There are 11 permanent dispatchers and three relief dispatchers. In 

addition, there are four utility or extra board positions. One of the relief positions works two 

days at a dispatching desk and on the other three days is responsible for the public address 

system. 

2.5.2 Scheduling System 

A crew dispatcher is responsible for all scheduling of both tower or block operators and central 

train dispatchers. This individual is also responsible for scheduling train and engine crews, yard 
19

masters and other operations personnel. As this is a first trick position (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.), shift 

supervisors/chiefs make emergency changes during the other two shifts. 

The Operations Center has dispatchers and relief dispatchers assigned to work expressly at the 

facility. Utility board personnel work in the towers when they are not needed at the Operations 

Center. The LIRR makes an effort to ensure that there are enough qualified extra board 

dispatchers within their pool of tower operators/dispatchers. The LIRR’s long range plans 

include phasing out the towers and creating a centralized operation. At that time additional 

dispatching positions may be necessary in the Operations Center. 

Overtime is awarded on a seniority basis. The pay differential for overtime varies as a function 

of seniority and location, ranging from 60 to 70 percent for the central office and 40 to 50 

percent for the towers. In early 2000 the LIRR paid significant overtime due to sudden schedule 

changes resulting from illness or other unanticipated activities. 

When a sick call is logged, which can be as close as 3 hr prior to start of work, the crew 

dispatcher or chief will first check the dispatchers s/he has available at the central office who fall 

within Hours of Service and are qualified for the position. The relief board is reviewed first for a 

solution. If no relief dispatchers are available, then overtime is offered to the permanent 

dispatchers. 

The scheduler performs his or her dispatcher scheduling duties using paper-and-pencil methods 

(roster, key sheets, and prior schedule) that have been in use for the past 20 to 25 years. In 

contrast, s/he uses a special software package for scheduling train and engine crews. Eventually, 

once the towers are consolidated, dispatcher scheduling will migrate to this package. It currently 

takes the scheduler between 1 and 2 hr each week to draw up the succeeding week’s schedule. 

The current work scheduling system is learned on-the-job from the incumbent, and requires 

about six months of training and practice before the scheduler becomes proficient at creating 

work schedules. 

Vacation time and other planned off time is elected by the beginning of the year. Vacation time 

is assigned based on seniority. There are no seasonal variations in the center’s operations, and 

therefore vacation time is spread out as evenly as possible. 

Upcoming open dispatcher positions are announced the first and third Wednesday of the month. 

Open positions, which number about 1 or 2 per year, are filled using a bid system. These 

positions are bid and then awarded based on both seniority and “marks.” (“Marks” reflect 

disciplinary or performance issues.) A person of lower seniority but with fewer negative marks 

may win the position over someone who has higher seniority but more marks. 

2.6 Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway 

2.6.1 Nature of the Operation 

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) maintains the largest centralized 

dispatching facility in the United States. It currently employs 533 dispatchers to cover 98 desks 

in its Network Operations Center located in Ft. Worth, TX. The majority of dispatchers hold a 

permanent or permanent relief position, the remaining slots, approximately 10 percent, being 

filled by extra board positions. Permanent positions are scheduled to have two consecutive off 

days while the extra board dispatchers usually do not have consecutive days off. Nearly all 
20

desks are staffed 24X7 with shift changeovers occurring at 6:40 a.m., 2:40 p.m., and 10:40 p.m. 

Less than 4 percent of the desks are combined at night or on weekends. 

2.6.2 Scheduling System 

Between 1993 and 1995 seven field offices were consolidated into the Fort Worth centralized 

Network Operations Center. Prior to this move, the regional offices used paper-and-pencil 

methods for scheduling their dispatchers. The centralized operation, however, was too large to 

be scheduled in this fashion, and as a result, special in-house scheduling software was developed. 

This software now keeps track of postings and awards, scheduling, produces manpower and 

utilization reports, names of people covering various jobs and possible alternates with their 

qualifications and seniority, etc. Qualifications are both desk and shift specific. Therefore, to 

work Desk A first and second trick would require two separate qualifications. 

Those dispatchers on regular duty or regular relief know their work schedules for a year at a 

time, barring personnel changes and shifts. People on the extra board are generally provided 

their work schedules one to two weeks prior to duty time. Vacation time for the coming year is 

put to bid in October, based on seniority and need. Any changes in dates that occur after January 

1 must go through a management/labor review process. 

Schedules are created by either Managers of Dispatcher Scheduling, who are responsible for 

scheduling and manpower planning of seven zones, or by zone chiefs. The zone chiefs actually 

prefer to have the ability to schedule their personnel, even though it is an additional burden. 

They are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of their different dispatchers and may make 

extra board selection choices that would not result from simply following the set selection rules. 

Zone chiefs use pencil-and-paper formats while the schedule managers use the developed 

software solution. 

Schedule changes can occur rapidly. When a sick call comes in, the scheduling manager or chief 

first consults the extra list for a replacement. If none are available with the proper qualification 

or rest time, then the relief board is examined and overtime granted. Sometimes it is possible to 

shift a dispatcher who is already assigned to work the shift from his/her original desk to another 

desk on which s/he qualifies in order to facilitate an extra board or relief board replacement. The 

software package makes theses types of changes much easier as it can keep track of the entire 

decision space. The software keeps track of sick days, and can show individual and position 

reports to detect problems, either with particular dispatchers or in staffing levels. 

Vacation time is allocated prior to the beginning of the current year. Thirty-five people are 

allowed to be on vacation on any particular day during peak vacation times, i.e. major holiday, 

school breaks and summer time, 25 people at other times. Changes in vacation time are usually 

allowed if they do not require more than one shift of overtime to be paid to the replacement. 

When a position becomes available through retirement, and it is a non-exempt job4

 it is posted 

several weeks prior to the incumbent’s departure. The position is filled based on seniority and 

qualifications. In most cases a new person will have been selected and ready to replace the 

retiree the day after the retirement. In contrast, exempt jobs cannot be posted prior to the 

incumbent dispatcher actually retiring. While the replacement rules are similar to those used by 

 

4

 A non-exempt job is governed by a collective bargaining agreement. Only some former Santa Fe positions are still 

exempt. 
21

the non-exempt jobs, there typically is some lag, and therefore reliance on the extra board, before 

the position is permanently filled. 

The scheduling software is fairly intuitive and easy to use. It was developed through 

brainstorming efforts of the chiefs, and now incorporates various Hours of Service and union 

rules. While it takes one to two weeks to understand the software, it generally takes about two 

months before the user can start producing schedules, and six months before producing efficient 

schedules. Part of the delay is the chief learning the strengths and weaknesses of the people 

under him or her, which usually takes four to five months. 

This software is also used to keep personnel records and track the progress of the dispatchers. 

One such activity is its maintenance of a qualification list. Each time a dispatcher trains or 

qualifies on a new position or shift that information is entered into the software’s database. The 

dispatchers review this information on a regular basis, and thus they have the opportunity to 

verify and update their file as necessary. This is especially important as the earlier versions of 

the software did not manage qualification information accurately. 

2.6.3 Staffing 

A minimum of 4.2 dispatchers is needed to cover a 24/7 desk. The center is currently operating 

at about 6 dispatchers per 24/7 desk. About 25 percent of the dispatchers at the facility are on 

the extra board. The center is currently operating with a 10 percent turnover rate, which is 

planned for in the operating budget for new hires. Current staffing levels are considered to be 

appropriate as the center encounters no more than five situations a year that exceed Hours of 

Service limitations. 

It takes approximately 26 weeks from hiring to filling a desk position. For an external apprentice 

dispatcher with no railroad experience, there are 14 weeks of schooling and 7 weeks of on-thejob training. Dispatchers must qualify on each shift of each desk. Each desk requires 

approximately six weeks posting and each additional shift requires one to three weeks of posting. 

Therefore, during the first year of employment the dispatcher will only actually fill a position for 

26 weeks. Dispatchers are paid a reduced rate of $183.55 a day during the training period, 

except for those transferring crafts within BNSF. Dispatchers start at 80 percent pay after 

training for the first 60 days or until they qualify for a desk, whichever comes first. They are 

then paid at the full rate of $229.43 per day. 

Dispatchers have to work 110 days the first year in order to qualify for 10 days vacation the 

following year. Table 7 contains the benefit-day accrual rates for BNSF dispatchers. 

There is no pay differentiation between shifts or for holidays. There are pay premiums, however, 

for position, overtime and training. Specifically, if a dispatcher is asked to work more than eight 

hr, s/he is paid at a rate of 1.5 times the regular rate. Dispatchers who oversee a trainee at their 

desk receive an extra 10 percent during the days a trainee is posting with them. In addition to 

vacation and sick days, dispatchers are budgeted for five to ten days of training per year and one 

week of road trips every third year. 

When the Center first opened, the BNSF was hiring, training and placing dispatchers at a rate of 

100 to120 per year. The attrition rate has since stabilized, and is now around 60 dispatchers per 

year. Occasionally new positions are opened when a desk is split due to excessive workload (as 

determined from wait time, number of calls in to dispatcher, and incumbent complaints) and the 

acquisition of a new territory. 
22

Table 7. BNSF dispatcher vacation, personal and sick day accrual rates 

Time worked Vacation Days Personal Days Sick Leave 

120 days 10 0 2 

2 years 10 0 5 

3 years 10 0 10 

8 years 15 1 10 

17 years 20 2 15 

20 years 20 3 20 

25 years 25 3 20 

2.7 Union Pacific Railroad 

2.7.1 Nature of the Operation 

The Union Pacific Railroad (UP), a Class I freight operation, is dispatched primarily from the 

Harriman Dispatching Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Most of the 67 desks in the center operate 

around the clock, seven days a week. This center had 375 active dispatchers on its staff in 2000 

and an additional 36 apprentice dispatchers in training, all of whom were expect to qualify by the 

end of the year. While most of the former Southern Pacific (SP) desks are still located in the 

Harriman Center, they continue to use their DigiCon Dispatching System that differs from that 

employed for the UP Harriman Center dispatching desks. Because of the differences in 

dispatching technology, Union Pacific’s Union Switch & Signal CAD-II system and the former 

SP DigiCon system, the two operations cannot share dispatchers and as a result, to some degree, 

they are unique and separate operations. UP is working on the design of their next generation 

dispatching system CAD-III, which will result in the consolidation of the two operations. 

2.7.2 Scheduling System 

Prior to 1998, dispatchers were responsible for the scheduling of railroad dispatchers. Each 

region had one dispatcher assigned to scheduling activities. This dispatcher’s job included one 

day per week for this activity. At that time there was no computer software support, no 

generated reports, and no means of obtaining data, other than those found in administrative 

messages and memoranda. 

In early 1998 UP created a Scheduling Department to coordinate and manage the assignment of 

qualified and apprentice train dispatchers for the Center. The goal was to ensure maximum 

manpower utilization for safe, efficient and uninterrupted dispatching of trains. Significant effort 

was expended to organize and establish workable scheduling processes. 

The Scheduling Department assists in forecasting staffing needs and manages workforce 

distribution. As apprentice dispatchers complete the classroom phase of training, schedulers and 

Managers of Train Dispatching (MOTD) match the skills of each individual apprentice with 
23

staffing needs of each zone. Some of the considerations include traffic volume, mode of 

operation, confidence level and prior railroad experience in a specific geographic area. 

Schedulers, in conjunction with MOTD’s, match apprentices with experienced dispatchers on 

assigned territories, ensuring dispatchers with less than one year of experience do not train 

apprentices or other dispatchers with less than one year of experience. Scheduling managers also 

arrange for pre-qualification road trips and rules reviews. The Scheduling Department handles 

coordination of apprentice “qualification” work with MOTD’s schedules. 

The 67 train dispatching positions are divided into fifteen zones. Each zone is made up of three 

to six positions, averaging five positions per zone. The number of dispatchers per zone ranges 

from 18 to 34. When permanent vacancies arise, the scheduling manager puts out a bulletin 

requesting that interested parties apply. Vacancies are awarded based on seniority. 

Zones consist of territories that share the same region and dispatching system (US&S CADII or 

DigiCon). Most are operationally and geographically connected. The assignment-by-zone 

concept balances staff, offers structure for relief jobs, and allows UP to maximize the number of 

dispatchers with a single-shift schedule. The BNSF has worked to arrange job assignments so 

that most relief jobs do not rotate between shifts. 

Each zone includes: 

• Assigned “incumbents” who work one position five days per week. 

• Relief positions that cover one, two or three positions, on assigned, 5-day schedules. 

Most relief positions are also single-shift. Some of the relief positions cover desks in 

more than one zone. 

• Extra board dispatchers who are trained on three positions to cover scheduled and 

unscheduled vacancies. The extra board workweek also consists of five days. 

• Shift changeover times are at 7 a.m., 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. 

To the extent possible, staffing managers work closely with dispatchers to schedule all 

vacancies. Extra board dispatchers who are scheduled based on qualifications, availability, 

experience/proficiency, and minimal schedule disruption normally fill vacancies. Occasionally 

when qualified dispatchers are not available to fill a vacancy, an assigned dispatcher is asked to 

perform overtime work on their rest day. 

Vacations are scheduled at the end of each year for the following year, allowing no more than 

three dispatchers to take vacations at the same time in each zone. During peak vacation (i.e. 

summer) and holiday periods, extra board dispatchers are utilized to the fullest. 

Currently, all dispatchers are scheduled using a specially developed Microsoft Access database 

product. This system allows the schedulers the ability to maintain consistent data and ensure 

accurate reports on: 

• Work histories of all dispatchers. 

• Dispatcher “seniority” dates. 

• Dispatcher position qualifications. 

• Details of vacancies. 
24

• Regional statistics. 

• Dispatcher evaluations. 

Many reports have been built into the system, ranging from a simple work history of a specific 

dispatcher to detailed reports regarding work history, rest days worked, office demographics, etc. 

The original purpose of the system was simply to be able to identify the qualified candidates for 

filling vacancies and to track work schedules. The system has evolved, and now possesses 

additional capabilities such that, for example, Hours of Service availability and qualification 

level of employees are checked and ordered when a scheduler queries the system looking for 

viable replacements for a vacancy. In addition, the system alerts the scheduler when a conflict is 

detected, such as attempting to schedule a dispatcher with less than one year of experience to 

work a daylight position on a weekday. 

Every effort is made to give dispatchers a predictable schedule and one of no more than five 

consecutive days. Work performed on rest days is currently running at approximately 0.3 

percent of the total number of shifts. 

Schedulers receive on-the-job training from experienced schedulers. A new scheduler will work 

in conjunction with an experienced scheduler until s/he is completely familiar with all scheduling 

policies and software. People with experience in Excel, Access and a computer background are 

highly desirable for this type of work. UP also looks for people with good interpersonal skills 

since the schedulers work closely with the dispatchers on a daily basis as they arrange their work 

schedules. Schedulers maintain day trick office hr, but remain available to handle emergencies 

on a 24/7 basis. 
25

3 Methodology for Establishing Optimal Staffing Level 

The optimal staffing level for any dispatching operation is a function of both the number of 

dispatcher positions that must be staffed and the extent to which someone other than the 

regularly assigned person works each position. The term “shift position” is used in the following 

subsections to refer to a specific desk and shift. This section presents a methodology for 

computing optimal staffing level. It is important to keep in mind that this method is based on the 

average number of positions required over the course of a week and the average level of 

absenteeism for the center. It is still possible that, due to unusual circumstances on a given day, 

there may be a need for individuals to work on a regularly scheduled day off. Section 5 

discusses strategies for scheduling dispatchers that will minimize the occasions when this will be 

necessary. 

Subsection 3.1 addresses computation of the average number of daily shift positions and 

subsection 3.2 describes the relief factor formulas for establishing the appropriate staffing level 

for a dispatching center. There are two relief factor formulas, the shift relief factor and the 

optimal staffing formula. Subsection 3.2 explains the circumstances that dictate when one 

approach versus the other is appropriate. 

3.1 Average Number of Positions to Meet Workload 

Assuming center management has established the number of desks that must operate and the 

days and shifts that each will be staffed, the staffing analysis can proceed. The first step in 

estimating the optimal staffing level is to determine the average number of shift positions that 

must be staffed over the course of the week. The number of positions may be the same each day 

and shift or it may vary. In general, the average number of daily shift positions is computed as: 

Total dispatcher-days per week 

Total number of service days per week 

The average number of daily shift positions can be computed as a total for the entire dispatching 

center or by shift. This section describes how the average number of daily positions is computed 

for three different scenarios. Items (1) and (2) below address computations across all shifts and 

item (3) illustrates the method to use when circumstances require staffing levels by shift. 

1. Constant staffing levels across shifts and days 

When the number of dispatchers scheduled to be on duty is constant for every workday, that 

number will also be the number of shift positions to be staffed. For example, many dispatching 

operations for the freight railroads discussed in Section 1 operate with the same number of 

dispatchers regardless of day of the week or shift. If a center has 8 desks that operate for each of 

the three shifts, then there would be 24 daily shift positions at this center. 

2. Varying Staff Levels on Various Work Days

When the number of dispatchers scheduled varies with workdays, as may be the case to 

accommodate workload fluctuations, the average number of shift positions per workday is 

calculated as follows: 

1. Determine the number of dispatchers who will be on duty on each day of the week across 

all shifts (shift positions). 
26

2. Sum the numbers from step 1 above. 

3. Establish and count the number of days where at least one dispatcher is scheduled for 

work. 

4. Calculate a quotient by dividing the sum obtained in step 2 by the count obtained in 

step 3. 

For example, assume that a dispatching center requires a total of 12 dispatchers daily Monday 

thru Friday and 8 are required on weekends. (See Table 8.) 

Table 8. Staffing requirements by day 

 M T W T F S S 

Total 

Dispatcher 

Days 

Number of On-Duty 

Dispatchers 

12 12 12 12 12 8 8 76 

There is a total of 76 dispatcher days at this center. Since the center operates 7 days per week, 

the average number of daily shift positions is 76/7 = 10.86 or 11. 

3. Computing average daily shift positions by shift 

When staffing requirements vary by shift, it may be desirable to calculate the number of daily 

positions by shift. In this case the procedure for determining the average number of daily 

positions is as follows: 

1. Establish per-week dispatcher-day totals for each shift. 

2. Ascertain the number of service days per week, by shift. 

3. For each shift, divide the total number of dispatcher-days obtained in step 1 by the total 

number of service days obtained in step 2; the resultant quotient will equal the average 

number of daily positions to be staffed. 

Total dispatcher days Average number of shift positions = Total service days 

Table 9 provides an example of a dispatching center where the number of dispatchers on duty 

varies by shift and day of the week. The right-hand column contains the number of dispatcherdays by shift for this center. 

Table 10 contains the total dispatcher-days and total service days per week. 
27

Table 9. Staffing requirements by shift and day of week

Number of Dispatchers on Duty 

 Day of Week 

Shift M T W T F S S 

Total 

Dispatcher 

Days 

1 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 49 

2 8 8 8 9 12 12 0 57 

3 5 5 5 5 5 0 0 25 

Table 10. Average number of daily positions by shift 

Shift 

Total 

Dispatcher 

Days 

Total Service 

Days 

Average 

Number of 

Daily Positions 

1 49 7 7 

2 57 6 9.5 

3 25 5 5 

The average number of daily positions for each shift (far right column of Table 10) is calculated 

as 

Total dispatcher days 

Total service days 

The average number of daily positions will be utilized in the relief factor formulas in the next 

subsection. 

3.2 Relief Factor Formulas 

Once the workload is determined, and based on that, the average number of daily dispatcher 

positions is confirmed, the center can establish the total number of dispatchers it will need to 

staff all shift positions. There are two methods for calculating the optimal staffing level: shift 

relief factor (SRF) and optimal staffing formula (OSF). Both are referred to as the relief factor 

formulas and both are based on the average time that a dispatcher at the center is not at work. 

The shift relief factor is suitable for operations where the staffing by shift is consistent for every 

day of week. For example, a center that has eight dispatchers working first and second shift and 
28

seven on third shift every day, Monday thru Sunday, can use the shift relief factor. This is 

usually the case for freight railroads. 

The optimal staffing formula is a variant of the shift relief factor. It is applied when staffing is 

not consistent within each shift. For example, if the number of dispatchers on duty on Saturday 

and Sunday differs from weekdays, then the optimal staffing formula must be used. 

Large dispatching operations, such as those at the BNSF and the UP, consist of groups of desks 

organized into divisions or corridors. Dispatchers tend to work only within one division. To a 

certain extent each division functions as a mini-center within the overall systemwide dispatching 

center. Given this arrangement, the SRF and OSF can be applied separately to each division. 

Then staffing estimates for each division can be combined to determine overall staffing 

requirements. 

3.2.1 Shift Relief Factor 

Shift relief factors are used to identify the number of employees required to staff a given number 

of shift positions (a shift position refers to a position or desk staffed on one shift every day of 

operation). Specifically, a shift relief factor is a single number that suggests the number of 

employees needed to staff one desk on one shift over the course of the week. Shift relief factors 

have values greater than one and can be interpreted as the number of employees or dispatchers 

per desk per shift. Shift relief factors are directly related to the number of days that the position 

or desk operates; the more days that the desk operates, the higher its relief factor. Table 11 

presents typical values for shift relief factors as a function of number of days per week that the 

position is staffed. 

Table 11. Typical shift relief factors as function of number of days of operation 

Number of Days of 

Operation 

Typical Shift Relief 

Factors 

5 1.1 – 1.4 

6 1.3 – 1.6 

7 1.5 – 1.8 

The shift relief factor is calculated as 

Number of days that the center operates 

Average annual employee on duty days 

Since railroading is a 24 hr per day operation year round, for most dispatching operations, the 

number of days that the center operates will be 365. Average employee on duty days is 

calculated as 365 less the days that the employee is not at work. 

Dispatcher days not at work fall into one of two categories: 1) regular days off or 2) benefit and 

other days off. Labor agreements typically provide for two regular days off per week or 104 

regular days off per annum. Benefit and other days off include the following: 
29

• Holidays • Family emergency 

• Vacation • Military leave 

• Sick leave • Education leave 

• Compensatory time off • Road trips 

• Funeral leave • Training 

• Personal leave • Special assignments 

Calculation of the shift relief factor is as follows: 

365/(365 – 104 – benefit and other days off) 

If experience at a dispatching center for one year indicates the following average absences for 

the dispatching staff: 

Vacation days 21.0

Sick days 6.0

Training days 3.0

Other absences 2.6

Total annual days not at work 32.6

then the shift relief factor for this center will be 

365/(365 – 104 – 32.6) = 365/228.4 = 1.6 

The optimal staffing is defined as 

Shift relief factor X average number of daily positions 

Assuming the average number of daily positions for this center is 11. Then the center requires 

1.6 X 11 = 17.6 

or 18 dispatchers. The SRF can be computed for either an entire center or a single shift. 

3.2.2 Application of the SRF 

This subsection presents an example of the application of the SRF to a dispatching center that 

has eight desks. Eight desks operate first and second shifts. On third shift two desks are 

combined so that only seven dispatchers are required to staff the center. The remainder of this 

subsection applies the process described above, step-by-step, to this hypothetical operation. 

Tables 11 thru 15 apply the process and steps reviewed above to determine optimal staffing 

levels based on application of the SRF. These tables illustrate the progression of calculations 

and steps in gathering and using historical dispatcher center data to determine optimal dispatcher 

staffing levels. 
30

Table 12 illustrates the various components of benefit and other time off. This data must be 

computed from historical records for dispatchers who work regular desk jobs on each shift. 

(Appendix A presents an approach for recording and assembling this data from historical 

records.) The total average benefit and other time off is converted to number of 8-hr working 

days in the right-hand column of Table 12. This calculation does not include regular days off 

provided by the schedule, but does include hr for holidays and hr of training per person. In this 

example, including vacation, the average 1st shift dispatcher was absent for 33 8-hr days, the 

average 2nd shift dispatcher was absent for 32 8-hr days, and the average 3rd shift dispatcher 

was absent for 36 8-hr days. (See right-hand column of Table 12.) 

Note that the relief crew is not calculated in the SRF because in determining the optimal level of 

dispatchers per shift, the SRF automatically calculates the required relief. Since every absence 

needs to be covered to protect uninterrupted traffic movement, more absences means a greater 

need for built-in relief. 

Table 12. Average benefit and other time off 

Shift 

Number 

of Desks 

Avg. 

Vacation 

Time (h) 

Avg. 

Sick 

Time (h) 

Avg. 

Other 

Absences 

(h) 

Avg. 

Training 

(h) 

Total 

Avg. 

Time Off 

(h) 

Avg. 

Benefit 

Time Off 

(d) 

1st 8 168.2 48.3 20.6 24 261.1 32.6 

2nd 8 168.0 44.2 21.3 24 257.5 32.2 

3rd 7 153.9 38.6 31.4 24 247.9 35.4 

Table 13 uses the benefit time off data in Table 12 to calculate the total number of 8-hr days that 

a dispatcher is not at his/her desk. These “not at work days” (NAWD) consist of the nonschedule-related absences (such as vacation time, sick time, excused absences/other, and special 

training hr), plus scheduled absences (the number of days per year that the dispatcher is not 

scheduled to work). On the current 8-hr schedule there are two scheduled days off per week or a 

total of 104 days annually. 

Table 13. Annual not at work days (NAWD) per dispatcher by shift 

Shift 

Benefit Time 

Off 

Scheduled 

Days Off 

Total NAWD 

Per Person 

1st 33 104 137 

2nd 32 104 136 

3rd 36 104 140 
31

Once the total average “not at work days” per shift group are determined, the Shift Relief Factor 

can be calculated. Table 14 illustrates how the NAWD from Table 13 is used to calculate the 

shift relief factor (SRF) for each of the three shifts. The SRF is calculated as 

Number of days that the center operates SRF = Average annual employee on duty days 

Thus, for 1st Shift dispatchers with a NAWD of 137 days, the SRF equals (365) / (365 - 137), or 

(365 / 228), which equals of 1.60. 

The SRF essentially weights the number of desk positions per shift by level of absences that need 

to be filled. The SRF indicates nothing by itself; it is only relevant when applied to the staffing 

calculation, as shown in Table 15. 

Table 14. Shift Relief Factor by shift 

Shift 

Total NAWD 

Per Person 

Shift Relief 

Factor (SRF) 

1st 137 1.60 

2nd 136 1.60 

3rd 140 1.62 

Table 15. Calculation of Optimal Staffing Levels by shift 

Shift 

Number of 

Desks SRF 

Optimal 

Staffing 

1st 8 1.60 13 

2nd 8 1.60 13 

3rd 7 1.62 12 

Total 38 

Table 15 uses the SRF in Table 14 to calculate the optimal staff levels. The optimal staffing is 

computed as follows: 

SRF X minimum number of positions X number of shifts per day. 

The result is the total number of dispatchers needed to optimally staff a three-shift dispatching 

operation. For example, the 1st Shift staffing level is (1.60) X (8 dispatchers minimum per crew) 
32

X (1-1st shift per day) = 12.8 total 1st Shift dispatchers needed. Since the number is greater than 

12.33 (1/3 of a person), it is rounded up to 13. The rounding up number factors in the NAWD 

for the additional personnel. The optimal 1st Shift dispatchers are rounded up to 13. The 

optimal number of 2nd Shift dispatchers is rounded down to 13 and the optimal number of 3rd 

Shift dispatchers is rounded up to 12. The optimal staffing level for this center is a total of 38 

dispatchers. 

Table 16. Optimal Staffing Levels by shift 

Shift 

Number of 

Desks SRF 

Optimal 

Staff 

Extra Board 

and Relief 

Required 

1st 8 1.60 13 5 

2nd 8 1.60 13 5 

3rd 7 1.62 12 5 

Total 23 38 15 

Table 16 uses the optimal staff levels for each shift from Table 15 to determine the number of 

extra board staff needed to cover for relief. To cover 23 daily shift positions, this center needs a 

total of 38 dispatchers. The difference between the total staff and the number of daily shift 

positions is the number of relief and extra board dispatchers required. Based on the SRF 

analysis, this center requires 23 regular jobs and 15 relief and extra board jobs. 

The SRF is equally applicable for shifts of any length. Appendix B provides an example of the 

SRF calculation for non-standard shift lengths. 

3.2.3 Optimal Staffing Formula 

The optimal staffing formula (OSF) is a variant of the SRF that is applied when the number of 

active desks on a shift is not the same every day. Dispatching operations at commuter railroads 

typically have this situation. The OSF method is frequently used in industries with seasonal 

fluctuations where it is desirable to determine staffing levels by season. 

Like the SRF, the OSF uses historic data regarding dispatcher absences. In contrast to the SRF, 

the OSF is computed using labor-hr rather than days and it calculates the staffing level directly. 

The formula is expressed as follows: 

Total scheduled labor-hr of work OSF = Average work hr per dispatcher 

Total scheduled labor-hr of work refers to the total number of hr that the desks in the center are 

staffed. Average per annum dispatcher work-hr is calculated by deducting the “not at work” hr 

from the total scheduled labor-hr of work per dispatcher. Once both the total scheduled labor-hr 

of work and the average work hr per dispatcher are determined, the staffing level can be 

computed. 
33

3.2.4 Application of the OSF 

This subsection presents an example of the application of the OSF to a dispatching center that 

has four desks. Four desks operate on first shift, three on second and one at night. In addition 

the number of days that each shift is in operation varies by shift. (See Table 17.) 

Table 17. Dispatching center with differences in staffing needs by shift 

Shift

Number of 

Desks 

Weekly Days 

Operating 

Annual Days 

Operating 

Annual Scheduled 

Labor-Hr 

1st 4 7 365 11,680 

2nd 3 6 313 7,512 

3rd 1 5 261 2,088 

Total 21,280 

The annual scheduled labor-hr by shift in the right-hand column of Table 17 is computed as 

8 hr X annual days of operation X number of desks 

Assume the benefit and other time off is the following: 

Vacation hr 168.2

Sick hr 48.3

Training hr 24.0

Other absences hr 20.6

Total hr off 261.1 

Then 

Average scheduled work hr for one person = 52 x 40 = 2080 hr

Average work hr for one person = (2080 – 261.1) = 1819 hr 

and

Total scheduled labor-hr of work OSF = Average work hr per dispatcher 

or 

21280 OSF = 1819 =11.69 

The optimal staffing level for this center, which has 4 desks with varying patterns of operation 

over three shifts, is a total of 12 dispatchers. 
34

3.2.5 Determining the Effect of Additional “not at work” Days on Staffing Level 

Both the Shift Relief Factor and the Optimal Staffing Formula can be used to determine the point 

at which additional “not at work” hr will necessitate additional dispatchers. Assume benefit and 

other days off total 32.6 days and the center has 11 daily shift positions to staff and a current 

staffing level of 18. (See example in subsection 3.2.1.) Assume management wants to know 

how many additional days off will require increasing the center’s staff to 19. 

Let x = the number of additional “not at work” days that will result in the need for another 

dispatcher. Since 

Staffing level = SRF X Daily Shift positions, and 

SRF = 365/(365 – 104 – benefit and other days off), 

the data for this center can be substituted in the staffing level formula as 

19 = [365/(365 – 104 – 32.6 – n)] X 11 

Solving this equation for n the result is 17. In other words, another dispatcher would be needed 

to staff this center if average “not at work” days increased by 17 days to a total of 153.6 days. 

Individual dispatching centers can perform a similar analysis with their specific data to 

determine how sensitive their staffing level would be to increases in “not at work” days. This 

type of analysis might be helpful if increases in training or road days are under consideration. 

The total staffing requirement is a function of both the “not at work days” and average number of 

daily shift positions that must be staffed. Figure 2 illustrates this relationship for average daily 

shift position levels of 8, 11 and 15. The relatively flat slope of the lines on this chart illustrates 

that significant increases in NAWD must occur before hiring an additional dispatcher can be 

justified. Similar curves can be developed for any number of shift positions. The minimum 

value of average NAWD on the chart is 114 because all dispatchers have 104 scheduled weekend 

days off and 10 days of vacation. The minimum total staff requirement for each of the daily shift 

position levels will be greater than the number of daily positions to account for these NAWDs. 

3.2.6 Limits of the Relief Factor Formulas 

By anticipating and projecting staffing absences based on historical absenteeism data, it is more 

likely a dispatching center will be able calculate average employee numbers needed to staff a 

given number of positions, knowing that vacancies will occur. The SRF can be used to 

determine the number of dispatchers that should be scheduled in order to insure a specified 

average number report to work to protect operational needs based on projected vacancies. 

For example, in a center with four desks, five dispatchers may be scheduled to report for work. 

Due to absences such as vacation, sickness and road trips, only four may report. Since each 

dispatcher works 5 days a week, seven dispatchers will provide a total of 35 staff-days per week. 

If distributed uniformly over all seven days of the week, these staff-days will provide five onduty dispatchers each day of the week – one more dispatcher per day than is required. The 

additional dispatcher scheduled on each day of the week will not, on average, result in 

overstaffing. S/he will, on average, be working a desk. 
35

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190

Average NAWD

Total

Staff

daily shift positions = 15

daily shift positions = 11

daily shift positions = 8

Figure 2. Total staff as function of not at work days and average daily shift positions 

To understand why this is the case, a distinction must be made between the number of 

dispatchers that are scheduled to be on duty and the number that actually report for work. The 

relief factor formulas is the link between these two numbers. In the example above, five 

dispatchers will be scheduled to report each day. On the average, however, only four will 

actually report for work due to absences because of vacations, holidays, illness and other 

reasons. As a result, even though the number of dispatchers who report for work each day will 

average four, the number who actually appear, on a day-to-day basis, will often be greater or less 

than this long-term average. 

Restating this observation, Relief Factor Formulas are used to determine how many dispatchers 

should be scheduled in order to insure that a specified average number of dispatchers would 

actually report for work. 

Two basic principles guide the use of the RFF as follows: 

1. Because the RFF are calculated using average employee work data, staffing projections 

using relief factor calculations are only valid as averages used over an extended period of 

time. 

2. Calculations based on Relief Factor Formulas assume that absences are equally likely to 

occur on any day of the week or season of the year. 

In summary, using the RFF, staffing levels reflect average employee absences over an extended 

period of time. The RFF is not intended to project dispatcher fluctuations on a day-to-day basis. 
36

3.2.7 Protecting Minimum On-Duty Dispatcher Levels 

Generally, the RFF offers a simple and accurate means to determine dispatcher staffing levels 

that provide an average number of on-duty dispatchers. However, dispatching centers, like 

emergency services, need to have sufficient on-duty dispatchers to meet workload demands. 

Stopping trains due to a lack of dispatchers is not an option. There are a number of options to 

ensure day to day dispatcher absences not projected by the RFF do not impair train movement. 

This may involve the use of emergency overtime, consistent with the terms of the Emergency 

Provisions of the Hours of Service Act. 

To prevent dropping below a minimum number of on-duty dispatchers when an excessive 

number of regularly scheduled dispatchers are absent, minimum staffing levels may be 

maintained using the procedures that railroad schedulers already employ. Extra board 

dispatchers or dispatchers on their regularly assigned day off may be requested to work. On a 

short-term basis the center may incur extra staffing costs to protect required minimum staffing 

levels. These costs occur regardless of the surplus staff that may appear for work on other days, 

or whether the average number of dispatchers equals the minimum staffing level. 

For example, where the minimum on-duty staffing level is four dispatchers for a shift, seven 

days a week, the actual number of dispatchers reporting to work on each day during one week is 

as shown in Table 18. On Wednesday and Friday, one less than the minimum staffing level of 

four reports for work. On both days one dispatcher must fill the vacancy to protect minimum 

staffing needs. 

Table 18. Example of deficit staffing 

 M T W T F S S 

Staff 

Days 

Min. Staffing 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 28 

Actual on Duty 5 5 3 4 3 4 4 28 

Deficit Tours 1 1 2 
37

4 Characteristics of Current Dispatcher Schedules 

This section begins with a description of a typical dispatching center schedule. Then these 

schedules are described in terms of characteristics that affect both human physiological limits 

and sociological considerations. These characteristics are the following: 

• Fixed or rotating shifts 

• Number of consecutive work hr and days 

• Fixed or staggered days off 

• Equitable distribution of off-duty days 

• Shift start and stop times 

• Quality and quantity of weekend time off 

• Off-duty time between consecutive workdays 

• Variable on-duty staffing by day of week 

• Length of shift 

• Relief crew and placement of extra board dispatchers 

4.1 Schedule Classification 

All of the railroads reviewed in Section 1 follow the same schedule format: a 3-shift system with 

a relief crew filling in on the scheduled days off for the permanently assigned dispatchers and an 

extra board to cover unplanned vacancies. These schedules are categorized as non self-relieving 

3-crew systems with a relief crew. Non self-relieving refers to the fact that there are not 

dedicated extra board dispatchers who fill in on only one shift. 

Appendix C contains schedules for each of the six centers. Since the schedules for the regular 

and relief dispatchers are on a one-week cycle, meaning that they work the same days and shift 

each week, only one week is shown for these jobs. However, the extra board dispatchers do not 

have a regular schedule so one month of actual work history is shown for these positions. 

A typical schedule for one division within a large dispatching center is shown in Figure 3. In 

this example there are 23 regular jobs, 9 relief jobs and 10 extra board jobs for a total staffing 

level of 42 dispatchers. Nearly half of the dispatchers, the relief and extra board people, by the 

nature of this type of schedule, must work rapidly rotating shifts. Rapidly rotating shifts are 

known to be fatiguing due to human maladaptation to changes in sleep schedule. Because the 

Hours of Service regulations require at least 15 hr off before returning to work, the rotations 

cannot be backward rotating, which is known to be even more fatiguing. 

Appendix C also contains raster plots for all of the regular and relief jobs and one extra board job 

at each of the six centers. Raster plots offer a means to graphically display the work pattern of 

each job over an entire work cycle, which is one week for regular and relief jobs. This graphical 

method is used to review job schedules and facilitates identification of undesirable 
38

Figure 3. Typical Dispatching Center Schedule
39

characteristics of a work schedule. In this representation of a work schedule, the vertical axis 

corresponds to the days of the week and the horizontal axis indicates the hour of the day. The 

black horizontal bars represent the work periods that make up the work schedule. Consecutive 

days are represented on the horizontal axis so that overnight work periods are apparent. 

Figure 4 displays the raster plot for extra board dispatcher X-3 in Figure 3. The raster plot 

illustrates the irregular pattern of this dispatcher’s work schedule. This individual worked a desk 

13 times over the four-week period. Job X-3 worked a total of 4 days, 4 evenings and 5 nights. 

During the first two weeks the individual rotated rapidly through each of the three shift periods. 

Since this is a guaranteed extra board position this individual worked the additional 7 days 

during this period to become qualified on additional desks. These “posting” or training days are 

not included on the raster plot. 

Examination of the raster plots for extra board positions at all six railroads (see Appendix C) 

reveals similar patterns. 

4.2 Schedule Characteristics 

Research has shown that there are a number of characteristics of a work schedule that determine 

whether or not the schedule can be potentially fatiguing. (Wedderburn, 1991; Rosa, 2001) This 

section discusses current dispatcher schedules in terms of these characteristics. These 

characteristics are summarized in Table 19. Each is discussed below along with alternatives to 

current practice. These alternatives are designed to alleviate the potentially fatiguing and 

socially disruptive aspects of the current schedule design. 

Fixed or Rotating Schedules 

Fixed schedules assign a dispatcher to a specific shift and s/he remains on that shift for each duty 

cycle. (The duty cycle for dispatchers is 1 week.) Rotating schedules require dispatchers to 

work more than one shift in a given duty cycle. The dispatching centers described in Section 1 

utilize a combination of both fixed and rotational schedule formats. The majority of the 

dispatchers are assigned to one of three shifts; day, evening, or night shift. The relief dispatchers 

are usually assigned to rotate through at least two of the three shifts. The larger Class I centers 

are frequently able to arrange their relief jobs so that a given job involves work on only one shift 

but covers desks in two divisions. The extra board dispatchers are not assigned to any particular 

shift, but fill in for absences based on qualifications for specific desks within Hours of Service 

limitations. 

There are benefits to both fixed and rotating schedules. Fixed shift schedules are preferred 

because they allow dispatchers to stabilize their lifestyle around a particular shift. Novice 

dispatchers look forward to the opportunity to bid into a preferred shift. Many fixed shift 

schedules based on 8-hr shifts have two major drawbacks. First, they require some dispatchers 

to rotate through all three shifts within one week, and, in addition, weekend time off is limited to 

a select few of the most senior dispatchers. Rotating schedules are preferable when a balance of 

skills is required throughout each shift and when the labor force prefers to share in an equitable 

distribution of days off, including weekends off. 
40

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Hours of Day

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Figure 4. Sample raster plot for extra board position 
41

Table 19. Characteristics of current schedules at dispatching centers 

Characteristic Dispatcher Schedule 

Fixed vs. Rotating 3 crews on fixed shifts. 

Relief crew rotates through shifts. 

Consecutive Work Hours and Days 8–hr shift length per day with 2 consecutive 

days off in a row for regular and relief jobs. 

Extra board not usually guaranteed two 

consecutive days off. 

Fixed vs. Staggered Days off Days off are fixed for regular and relief jobs 

and staggered for extra board jobs. 

Equitable Distribution of Days Off Days off are determined by seniority. 

Shift Start and Stop Times Shift starting and stopping times are fixed based 

on an 8-hr shift. 

Quality and Quantity of Weekend Time 

Off 

Weekend time off is limited to seniority and 

availability. 

Off-duty Time Between Consecutive 

Workdays 

All dispatchers must have at least 15 hr off-duty 

between shifts. Days off for extra board not 

necessarily consecutive. 

Variable On-duty Staffing By Day of 

Week 

Staffing by day of week is dependent on each 

center’s needs. Commuter railroads have 

lighter staffing at nights and on weekends. 

Length of Shift All centers limited to 9 hr on duty per 24-hr 

period. 

Relief and Extra Board Placement Relief dispatchers are fourth crew rotating 

through the shifts. Extra board fills in 

randomly. 

Number of Consecutive Work Hours and Days 

The current Hours of Service regulation limits the dispatcher to working no more than 9 hr in 

any 24-hr period. This rule requires the use of 8-hr shifts. (Eight hr are a multiple within the 

24-hr day.) The dispatch centers examined utilize a five-day consecutive shift duty period with 

two consecutive days off. Although this appears similar to a normal daytime workweek of 

Monday through Friday, this is not the case for dispatchers. Each job consists of a fixed 

consecutive five days on in accordance with the center’s need by desk, time of day, and day of 

week. Within a seven-day period, the five days on and two days off need not follow what is 

considered a standard Monday to Friday daytime workweek. An example could be working 
42

Thursday through Monday on night shift, having Tuesday and Wednesday off. Though there is 

nothing that can be done for consecutive work hr, given the Hours of Service rule, there are other 

formats for consecutive workdays, while maintaining fixed shifts. A common option would be 

to increase the consecutive days worked to six or seven to allow all dispatchers to receive an 

equitable distribution of days off. The shifts are fixed, but the days off rotate through a set 

pattern. (Section 5.4 discusses alternatives to regularly assigned days.) 

Fixed or Staggered Days Off 

Fixed days off can be in two formats, one format is a multiple of seven days. Other fixed days 

off formats use a multiple of seven, i.e. 14 or 28 days. Current dispatcher schedules employ the 

first format. All dispatchers have a fixed 2 days off consecutively. The other fixed days off 

formats, being a multiple of 14 or 28, are schedules where all or a set of dispatchers in a shift 

rotate their days off equally in a fixed pattern. Employees rotate through the schedule in groups 

and all those rotating in the fixed pattern receive the same days off as each other. 

Staggered days off are schedule formats where the on/off-duty cycle is not a multiple of seven 

days. A common fixed schedule with staggered days off has six consecutive days on with two 

consecutive days off. All dispatchers share the same days off in a staggered pattern based on the 

eight-day cycle. 

Equitable Distribution of Off-Duty Days 

Equitable distribution of off-duty days means that all dispatchers rotate their on duty/off-duty 

days. As mentioned above, this is not the case with the dispatch centers reviewed. These centers 

function on a seniority system, common throughout the railroad industry, that allows the most 

senior dispatchers to choose which shift and days they will work. This process is repeated down 

to the dispatcher with the least seniority. The primary concern of this characteristic of 

scheduling is that it causes sociological disruption for the majority of dispatchers. This 

disruption can result from never having any regularly scheduled weekend time off, or working 

fixed night shifts with no weekend time off. Compounding the issue is that there are relief 

dispatchers who rotate through all the shifts while never receiving weekend time off. 

The same principle applies here as with the concept of fixed or staggered days off. If there is the 

desire for all to receive some equitable days off, then the schedule needs to have some staggered 

pattern to allow all or some of the dispatchers to stay on fixed shifts, but rotate the days on and 

days off pattern. 

Shift Start and Stop Times 

Shift start and stop times, in general occur at 7 a.m., 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. Centers may have shift 

change times up to 1 hr earlier or may stagger them. A primary concern with respect to shift 

change times is that they not require employees to commute during times of reduced alertness. 

Humans have two peaks in alertness and two troughs. Alertness is at its lowest between 3 a.m. 

and 5 a.m. Based on individual circadian profiles, the actual nadir period can occur between 

midnight and 6 a.m. This is the time that most individuals who work around the clock identify as 

the most difficult to maintain their vigor and alertness on the job. During this period, many talk 

about “hitting the wall” when they feel waves of tiredness wash over their consciousness. 

As hard as it is to maintain alertness while at work during the nadir period when stimulated by 

and responding to the rigors of a job, it is even more difficult to maintain vigor when driving. To 
43

help ensure the safety of dispatchers during their commutes to and from work it is recommended 

that shift start and stop times not occur during this most difficult time of day. This does not 

appear to be an issue for dispatchers. 

Quality and Quantity of Weekend Time Off 

A key social characteristic in schedule design for most dispatchers is having as many weekend 

days off as possible. However, in a continuous 24/7 operation, someone must work the 

weekends. In practical application, rotating 8-hr schedules allow between one quarter and one 

half of the staff to have both weekend days off. Fixed shift and day off schedules provide some 

40 to 50 percent of the staff with at least one weekend day off. This appears to be the case for 

railroad dispatchers. For example, at one of the Class I dispatch centers reviewed, the dispatcher 

schedules provided for at least one weekend day off for 47 percent of the dispatchers while the 

remaining 53 percent do not receive any weekend time off. Of the 47 percent who receive 

weekend time off only, less than half receive a full weekend off each week. For this Class I 

railroad, only 21 percent of the regularly scheduled jobs provide for two weekend days off each 

week. 

Off-duty Time Between Consecutive Workdays 

Ergonomic work schedules provide two consecutive days off to allow the worker adequate time 

for relaxation and restorative sleep. With the fixed 3-shift schedule, the off-duty time between 

consecutive workdays is 16 hr. The off-duty time between consecutive workweeks is two full 

days, but a total of 64 hr between on-duty cycles. This is the case unless a dispatcher is called in 

to work on his/her day off. For the relief crew, the time off between consecutive same shifts is 

16 hr, but the time between forward rotating shifts (e.g., day to evening shift) can be 24 hr or 

more. Off-duty time for relief dispatchers between consecutive workweeks can vary based on 

what shift ends the workweek and what shift begins the next workweek. The shortest period is 

when a relief dispatcher ends the workweek on a night shift and starts back to work the following 

week on the day shift. This leaves the dispatcher with a disruptive schedule only 48 hr off. 

Since extra board dispatchers at most centers are not guaranteed two consecutive days off, their 

off-duty time between consecutive days must be at least 15 hr and will vary from week to week. 

This group of dispatchers is not assured of the opportunity for two consecutive days off and thus 

may never be adequately rested. 

Variable On-Duty Staffing by Day of Week 

A strategic characteristic of any schedule design is the staffing by time of day and day of week. 

If the staffing is equal through each shift, then the scheduling format can be kept simple and 

equitable. When staffing varies by time of day, day of week, or through seasonal fluctuation, the 

scheduling format can become more complex with the use of proportional staffing. 

All of the freight dispatching centers reviewed (both Class I and shortline) have relatively even 

staffing by time of day and day of week. In contrast, the commuter railroads have a variation in 

staffing at nights and during the weekend period. On the weekends, they have fewer staff 

assigned by day and shift. 

Length of Shift 

The Hours of Service regulation limits the length of a dispatcher’s shift to a maximum of 9 hr 

and requires an off-duty period of at least 15 hr between work periods. As consecutive hr within 

a given shift and/or the number of consecutive workdays in a work block increase so does 
44

cumulative fatigue. Thus when the schedule design limits the number of “scheduled” 

consecutive workdays based on the shift length, the schedule method turns to a more fixed days 

on and off pattern. 

Shiftwork and fatigue research has shown that the number of consecutive workdays should be 

limited to a maximum of seven 8-hr shifts within a block of consecutive workdays (Wedderburn, 

1991). The Hours of Service regulations do not address this aspect of the dispatcher’s work 

schedule. What needs to be noted with the Hours of Service rule of 9 hr is that it significantly 

reduces the options available to schedule dispatchers in comparison to other critical workplace 

operations. 

Relief Crew and Placement of Extra Board Dispatchers

All of the dispatching operations described in Section 2 use a relief crew that works on five 

consecutive days followed by two rest days. While the relief dispatchers work a regular 

schedule, their schedule frequently requires rapid forward rotation, an arrangement that is 

potentially fatiguing. The extra board dispatchers are guaranteed five days but not on any set 

schedule. The extra board is solely used to cover for any absences of the regularly assigned 

dispatchers, including the relief jobs. As a result extra board dispatchers work varying shifts, 

within the Hours of Service limitations, usually do not have two consecutive days off and in 

general have an unpredictable schedule unless they are filling in for someone on scheduled 

vacation leave or other scheduled absence. 
45

5 Schedule Design Strategies 

Railroads are not unique in their requirement to operate 24 hr a day, 365 days a year. Public 

service organizations such as fire and police must be available around the clock. Manufacturing 

and process industries with significant investments in facilities operate on a 24-hr schedule as 

well. While these businesses differ from railroading, their workers’ concerns with regard to hr of 

work and schedule do not. The innovations in schedule design that have developed in other 

environments suggest some options for consideration in railroad dispatching centers (Stenzel & 

Buren, 1983). This section presents a framework for schedule design and suggests some 

alternative strategies to current dispatcher schedule systems. 

5.1 Schedule Design Options 

There are fundamental variations and structures in work schedule designs. Each produces a 

schedule to meet a specific set of constraints and objectives. In some cases, none of these 

methods will produce acceptable schedules. When this occurs, minor modification of the 

constraints or objectives frequently makes use of one of the methods feasible, but sometimes 

other types of schedules must be considered. On the other hand, in some cases more than one 

method may produce acceptable schedules. When this happens, the design method may be 

selected arbitrarily, or useful but secondary constraints and objectives may be added until only 

one method remains. Before proceeding to identify options for the scheduling of railroad 

dispatchers, it is useful to understand commonly used schedule designs for shiftwork operations. 

There are four major schedule designs. They are the following: 

1. Fixed Bracket – A schedule in which each dispatcher or group of dispatchers works the same 

7 day bracket (or pattern) each week, whether fixed or rotating shifts. With this arrangement 

each employee has regular assigned days off. 

2. Basic Duty Cycle – A schedule that has a repeating pattern of shift assignment and days off 

in a work schedule. Basic Duty Cycles are all multiples of seven days (schedules with 7, 14, 

28 day patterns). 

3. Extended Duty Cycles – Schedules with greater than 28 day patterns that are not a multiple of 

7 days. 

4. Proportional Rotating Schedule – A cyclic schedule that provides rotating days off and 

staffing levels proportional to service demands by day of the week. Dispatchers start and 

finish at the same times each day. Multiple Shifts, a variant of the proportional rotating 

schedule, has workers report to work at different times of the day. For example, police 

rosters add a “bar shift” on Thursday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. 

These four types are not mutually exclusive and any given scheduling system may include 

elements of more than one method (Stenzel, 1985). In fact, the dispatching center schedules 

described in Section 2 are a combination of fixed bracket and basic duty cycle schedules. 

Appendix D provides more detail on each of these four methods. 

5.2 Assessment of the Current Dispatcher Schedule Format 

All of the centers described in Section 2 follow the same format, a “Fixed Bracket System” with 

“Basic Duty Cycles.” The Fixed Bracket property of these schedules allows for most dispatchers 
46

to be permanently assigned to the same shift of eight hr and have the same days on and off-duty 

on the same days each week. The Basic Duty Cycle refers to the characteristic that all 

dispatchers follow the same pattern of shift assignments and off-duty days. 

Each of the centers utilizes a four crew, three shift system of eight hr each, in which they 

permanently assign three crews of dispatchers to a day, evening, or night shift. The three fixed 

crews work in a fixed bracket format of permanent days on and days off and a basic duty cycle 

of seven days with five days on and two days off. This minimum staffing by shift and number of 

desks per any given day is characterized for fixed shifts to be non self-relieving. Relief 

dispatchers are utilized in a fourth crew and extra board. The center utilizes a relief crew that 

functions as a “swing shift” in which the relief crew dispatchers rotate, on a permanent basis, the 

days off of the dispatchers on the three fixed crews. The relief crew dispatchers are also fixed 

bracket and have a basic duty cycle of seven days, with five days on and two days off. The relief 

crew is typically assigned to rotate through two or more shifts in a given week. 

The remaining dispatchers or extra board are utilized to fill in any gaps of days off of the four 

crews and cover for all of “Not at Work Days” such as vacations, sick days and training days. 

These extra board dispatchers have no fixed bracket schedule format. The basic duty cycle does 

follow a seven-day cycle of 8-hr shifts, five days per week with two days off. The days on and 

days off are randomly assigned, based on desk qualifications, to cover any of the day, evening, or 

night shifts in a given week. 

5.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of the Current System 

As with all schedule design formats, there are positive and negative aspects to all systems given 

the characteristics described in subsection 5.1. The major advantage to the present arrangement, 

which explains its commonality across many industries, is that it has been in place since the Fair 

Labor Standards Act initiated the 40-hr workweek over 60 years ago. Since the inception of the 

40-hr workweek, all dispatch centers have gravitated to maintaining fixed shifts to address the 

seniority system incorporated in labor agreements. Other advantages of the system are the 

following: 

• Fixed shifts allow for the three fixed crews to maintain a stable lifestyle, both by shift and by 

days on and off. 

• The fixed bracket of days on and days off for the three crews allows for seniority to dictate 

the best duty cycle pattern. 

• The 8-hr shift allows for a significant amount of recovery time before coming back to work 

on the following day. 

• Five days on with two days off is fundamentally what is accepted as the normal workweek. 

• Fixed shift schedules allow for the ease of variable staffing by day of week and by time of 

day. 

• Fixed shift schedules allow for dispatchers to develop a rapport with regular co-workers and 

their chief. 

• Non self-relieving shifts allow for accessibility of a larger pool of dispatchers to fill in for 

unexpected absences. 
47

• Fixed shifts have been the accepted norm for many decades so that the system is familiar to 

both dispatchers and their management. 

• Both fixed shifts and relief/extra board shift rotation allow for a wide variety of lifestyle 

options to bid into based on seniority. 

The major disadvantage is that this system offers only the most senior of the dispatchers with the 

most favorable duty cycles. The majority of the remaining dispatchers have limited choices with 

regard to shift and days off patterns. Other disadvantages are the following: 

• Fixed shifts for the three fixed crews force the relief crew and extra board to rotate through 

the shifts. 

• The fixed bracket of days on and days off for the three crews forces the least senior of the 

dispatchers, which may total as many as half of the dispatchers at a center, to not have 

weekend time off. 

• The 8-hr shift forces the need for more dispatchers on the weekends, reducing the number of 

dispatchers who can be off on the weekends. 

• The non self-relieving 4-crew fixed format forces the need for a “swing” or relief crew, and 

an extra board without any permanent assignments. 

• Fixed shift schedules force a fixed night crew into sleep cycles that run counter to human 

physiology. 

• Fixed shift schedules force the least senior dispatchers to wait many years before the 

opportunity to bid out of an undesirable shift. 

• Non self-relieving shifts force fewer dispatchers to be assigned to fixed shifts of day, 

evening, or night shift. 

• Fixed shifts have been the accepted norm for many decades so that the system breeds a 

reluctance to change. 

• Relief/extra board shift rotation requires multiple supervisors to oversee the performance of 

these dispatchers. 

5.4 Options for Optimizing the Current Dispatcher Scheduling System 

The current dispatching schedule format does have many desirable characteristics. However, 

there are some significant modifications that have the potential to lessen the negative features 

identified in subsection 4.2. The range of options is limited by the Hours of Service regulations, 

current labor agreements, a weekly payroll system, assignments based on seniority and the 

expectation, in some locations, of overtime. This section suggests options. Some are based on 

the work of Knauth et al (1982) and Schwarzenau et al (1986). The situation in each individual 

dispatching center will determine whether or not any of these are feasible in that environment. 

5.4.1 Option A: Create three crew self-relieving system 

Once the proper staffing analysis has been established for each shift, whether day, evening, or 

night shift, place the optimum number of dispatchers on each shift and make the shifts selfrelieving. 
48

For example, assume the day shift has eight desks, operates 7 days per week, and the Shift Relief 

Factor (SRF) is 1.60. The optimal number of dispatchers for the day shift is 8 X 1.60 = 12.8 or 

13 dispatchers. In other words, a total of 13 dispatchers are assigned to work days. The same 

process is applied to the evening and night shift. Depending upon the current staffing level, this 

approach need not lead to an increase in total staff. 

Making the crews self-relieving by assigning the optimal staff to cover for “Not at Work Days” 

on any given shift, the solution increases the number of people working fixed work shifts. That 

is, it can potentially free the relief crew and most of the extra board from working rotating shifts. 

Maximizing the workforce on fixed shifts will allow the maximum number of dispatchers to 

stabilize their physical and social lifestyle around a fixed pattern. From a performance 

measurement and team building perspective, the more dispatchers assigned to a fixed shift, the 

greater the accountability and cohesiveness within each shift. With this arrangement, the 

additional dispatchers assigned to the fixed shifts would have to qualify on all desks. Some 

railroads have already chosen to have their extra board dispatchers qualify on all desks so this 

arrangement may be feasible in these locations. 

5.4.2 Option B: Allow fixed shifts to maximize weekend time off 

Option A is a prerequisite to implementation of Option B. Once the 3-crew system is optimized 

to the appropriate staffing level, keep the senior dispatchers on the fixed days off with weekend 

time. Keep the remainder of the dispatchers on each of the fixed shifts but rotate the days off 

schedule to 6 on/2 off, 7 on/2 off, 7 on/4 off. Table 20 illustrates the schedule for the non-senior 

dispatchers. This arrangement would allow the non-senior dispatchers, including the extra board 

dispatchers, to receive a long weekend off–Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday–every 25 

days. Overall this option equally distributes weekend time off. If desirable, this schedule can be 

implemented seasonally, as with the summer time, and it need not be implemented for all three 

shifts. This option includes a limited extra board to fill the “relief” positions at the center. This 

option need not be applied to all shifts. 

Table 20. Typical fixed 6 – 2, 7 – 2, 7 – 4 schedule 

Week Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 

1 - Relief X X X X X 

2 X - - X X X X 

3 X X X - - X X 

4 X X X X X - - 

5.4.3 Option C: Utilization of relief dispatchers and extra board dispatchers 

Option A is a prerequisite to implementation of Option C. If there is a necessity to distinguish 

between relief and extra board dispatchers, assign the relief dispatchers to cover for unexpected 

absenteeism within their designated fixed shift and allow the extra board to fill-in for vacations, 

long-term training or disability. 

The relief dispatchers being assigned to their appropriate fixed shift will be more alert to take on 

unexpected absences when they are on the fixed shift. (The utilization of relief dispatchers on 
49

only one shift currently occurs at both the BN and UP.) The extra board, covering all other long 

term fill-in days off, will have the opportunity to slow down the randomness of the traditional 

extra board schedule by staying on the same shift longer with less rotation between work 

assignments. 

5.4.4 Option D: Mon – Fri 8-hour shifts, Sat – Sun 12-hour shifts 

Convert Saturdays and Sundays to two 12-hr shifts. If an exemption or waiver from the Hours of 

Service regulations could be obtained, the extension of hr only on the weekends is possible. This 

option would guarantee three-quarters of the dispatchers some weekend time off. The change on 

Saturdays and Sundays may be accomplished while maintaining all of the positive aspects of a 

fixed shift system. Table 20 illustrates this type of schedule. A key feature of this option is that 

it does not include an extra board. The other options have an extra board that is smaller than 

under the current system. 

This option works as follows: 

• The Day shift (25 percent of the total dispatchers) works Monday through Friday and has 

every full weekend off. 

• The Evening shift (25 percent of the total dispatchers) works Tuesday through Saturday and 

has Sunday and Monday off every week. 

• The Night shift (25 percent of the total dispatchers) works Saturday and Sunday for 12 hr on 

night shift, two 8-hr night shifts Monday and Tuesday, and then has 3 days off, Wednesday 

through Friday, every week. 

• The Relief shift (25 percent of the total dispatchers) works 12 and 8-hr evening shifts on 

Sunday and Monday, respectively, has Tuesday off, then works three night shifts Wednesday 

through Friday, is off on Saturday, and returns to work on Sunday at noon. This would be 

for the swing shift every week. 

This schedule allows for a four-crew system where three shifts are fixed. Three out of four 

crews receive some weekend time off every weekend and the night crew does not have weekends 

off but has three days off consecutively. 

Table 21. Typical fixed 8 and 12-hour schedule 

Crew Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 

Day D8 D8 D8 D8 D8 - - 

Evening - E8 E8 E8 E8 E12 - 

Night N8 N8 - - - N12 N12 

Relief E8 - N8 N8 N8 - E12 

51

6 Conclusions and Recommendations 

The work schedules for US railroad dispatching operations are non self-relieving three fixed 

shifts with a relief crew. The current system is easy to manage because of the fixed assignments 

inherent in it. The system has been in place for over 60 years and both railroad management and 

labor have become accustomed to both its advantages and disadvantages. One of the 

disadvantages is that this system requires an extra board to fill in for occasions when the 

regularly assigned dispatcher is unavailable to work. 

The extra board creates problems for both railroad management and the dispatchers who work 

those jobs. Based on data provided by six dispatching centers, during any given week as many 

as 25 percent of the assigned shifts may require the use of extra board dispatchers. Schedulers 

have the responsibility for securing a replacement dispatcher. Many times this must be done on 

short notice and, due to Hours of Service limitations and qualifications of available dispatchers, 

several dispatchers must be re-assigned to accommodate the vacancy. The scheduler’s job may 

also require being on call to resolve last minute staffing problems. From the dispatchers’ 

perspective, as many as one quarter of a center’s dispatching staff may be subject to the random 

and potentially fatiguing work schedule inherent in an extra board position. Also, under the 

present system, relief dispatchers may have rapid forward rotation in their schedules. While 

relief dispatchers have a regular schedule, rapid rotation is not a preferred arrangement with 

regard to potential fatigue. In centers where relief dispatchers work a rotating schedule, as many 

as half of the center’s dispatchers may be working a potentially fatiguing schedule. 

Another major shortcoming of dispatcher schedules involves off-duty time. Industries that 

operate around the clock, 365 days a year require people to work when they would likely either 

be sleeping or spending social time with their family and friends. The present scheduling system 

for dispatchers results in an inequitable distribution of off-duty time with some having nights 

and/or weekends off and other always working at those times. The current arrangement limits 

weekend off-duty time to less than half of the staff. Less than a quarter of the staff have two 

weekend days off. The inability to spend social time with family and friends may be further 

compromised if the dispatcher works nights. 

Many public sector services and US industries have found alternatives to the non self-relieving 

fixed shift arrangement common to railroad dispatching operations. Innovative scheduling 

strategies from non-railroad environments offer options that have the potential to alleviate the 

issues identified in this study. The options that show promise for both reducing employee 

fatigue and easing the job of the scheduler in filling vacancies are: 

A. Three crew self-relieving system. 

B. Fixed shifts with variable days off. 

C. Targeted utilization of relief and extra board dispatchers. 

D. 12-hr weekend shifts. 

Both labor and management are likely to benefit from any change in the present system, but 

implementation of any of these options will require teamwork from both groups. One approach 

to exploration of alternative scheduling options would be to establish a committee to identify the 

scheduling concerns at the dispatching center. This committee should include representatives of 

all stakeholder groups, including trick dispatchers, chief dispatchers, schedulers and management 
52

of the dispatching center. If there is consensus that a change is desirable, then a specific 

scheduling strategy can be selected and impediments to the change can be addressed. Factors 

that are important to consider include the terms of current labor agreement, a weekly payroll 

system, and any dispatcher expectations regarding the opportunity to earn overtime pay. The 

Hours of Service will be a concern if 12-hr weekend shifts are desirable. However, the FRA has 

a waiver procedure whereby a railroad can request an exemption from the regulations. If a 

railroad wanted to implement an alternative schedule that was potentially less fatiguing overall 

for its dispatcher work force, the FRA is likely to consider such a request. A large Class I 

dispatching center may want to select one division and conduct a pilot test of an alternative 

schedule design. 

The focus of this study was on determining objective staffing levels that accommodate the “not 

at work days” pattern of a center. Human physiology and quality of work life considerations 

were the basis for the evaluation of dispatcher schedules. Cost was not considered directly in 

this analysis. Before implementing any of the suggestions offered in this report, railroads will 

likely also want to examine the economic consequences of any change in either staffing level or 

schedule. 

A staffing analysis based on the shift relief factor may suggest a change in the total number of 

dispatchers at a center. Only a detailed analysis of the salaries and payroll costs for a specific 

dispatcher center will reveal if the change will bring about an overall increase or decrease in the 

cost of operating the center. With regard to changes in work schedules, the motivation for 

considering an alternative work schedule is because it offers benefits to the work force and is 

cost neutral. Alternative schedules, such as the four suggested in this report, have benefits in 

terms of reduced fatigue and an improved quality of life for the dispatcher work force. These 

benefits are qualitative and not easily translated into a monetary equivalent. 
53

7 References 

Hours of Service of Railroad Employees, 49 C.F.R. § 228 (1978). 

Knauth, P. Schwarzenau, W., Brockmann, W. & Rutenfranz, J. (1982). Computerized 

construction of shift plans for continuous production which meet physiological, social, 

and legal requirements. Journal of Human Ergology, 11, Supplement, 441-446. 

Popkin, S., Gertler, J., & Reinach, S. A Preliminary Examination of Railroad Dispatcher 

Workload, Stress and Fatigue (Report No. DOT/FRA/ORD-01-08). Washington, DC: 

Federal Railroad Administration. 

Reinach, S., Gertler, J. & Kuehn, G. (1998) Training Requirements for Railroad Dispatchers:

Objectives, Syllabi and Test Designs (Report No. DOT/FRA/ORD-98-08). Washington, 

DC: Federal Railroad Administration. 

Rosa, R. (2001). Examining Work Schedules for Fatigue: It’s Not Just Hours of Work. Peter A. 

Hancock, & Paula A. Desmond (Editors), Stress, Workload and Fatigue (pp. 513-528). 

Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 

Stenzel, W. (1985). A manual procedure for designing fixed days off schedules (Publication No. 

903). Northwestern University Traffic Institute. 

Stenzel, W. & Buren, R. (1983). Police work scheduling: Management issues and practices

(Contract Number J-LEAA-0130-78). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. 

Wedderburn, A. (1991). Guidelines for Shiftworkers. Bulletin of European Shiftwork Topics. 

Dublin: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. 

Wedderburn, A. (2000). Shiftwork and Health. Bulletin of European Shiftwork Topics. Dublin: 

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. 

55

Appendix A: Capturing Historical Data for Computing Not at Work 

Days (NAWD) and Staffing Level 

Computation of the SRF and OSF requires data on all non-desk days for which a dispatcher is 

paid. This appendix suggests a format for recording and assembling the required data. While 

each railroad may vary in how they describe or classify these days, the more important point is 

that all such days are captured and included when determining annual non-work non-desk days 

for each dispatcher. The following example illustrates a method for aggregating this data and 

using it to calculate the shift relief factor.

Step 1: Record All Non-Desk Days Per Dispatcher Per Annum 

Job 

Number 

Employee 

ID 

Vacation Sick 

Leave 

Training Float Tag Personal 

Leave 

Comp 

Time 

1st Shift 

1 6004 128.0 40.0 24.0 4.0 5.0 16.0 8.0 

2 6009 168.4 32.0 24.0 8.0 0.0 8.0 0.0 

3 6237 208.0 48.0 24.0 0.0 3.0 0.0 4.0 

4 6238 168.4 40.0 24.0 4.0 0.0 10.0 12.0 

5 6239 208.0 32.0 24.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 16.0 

6 6240 168.4 60.0 24.0 12.0 0.0 8.0 8.0 

7 6241 168.4 80.0 24.0 4.0 5.0 12.0 12.0 

8 6259 128.0 54.0 24.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 

Total Average Hr 168.2 48.3 24.0 4.3 2.1 6.7 7.5 
56

Step 2 - Calculate the RFF Using Aggregate Absenteeism Data 

Vacation 168.2 

Sick Leave 48.3 

Training 24.0 

Float 4.3 

Tag 2.1 

Personal 6.7 

Comp 7.5 

Total Avg. Hr Not at Work 261.1 

 

Average Not at Work Days 32.6 

Regular Days Off 104.0 

 Total per annum NAWD 136.6 

RFF for 1st shift= 365/(365-136.6) = 1.60

Staffing level for 1st shift= 8 * 1.60 = 12.8 or 13 
57

Appendix B: Calculating Staffing Level For Non-Standard Shift 

Lengths 

The SRF can be applied to any operation regardless of the shift length. This appendix provides 

an example of an operation that utilizes four 10-hr shifts per week. In this case each dispatcher 

has three regular days off per week. This increases the regular days off to156, per dispatcher per 

annum (i.e., 3 x 52 = 156). Using the example of Appendix A, the total number per annum days 

off per dispatcher increases from 136.6 to 188.6. Based on this, the SRF would change to: 

SRF = 365/(365 – 156 – 32.6) 

or 

SRF = 365/(365 – 188.6) = 365/176.4 = 2.1 

The increased SRF for the 4/10 schedule results from the shift now providing 70 hr of coverage 

per week (10 hr per day x 7 days) instead of 56 hr, an increase of 25 percent. In the above case, 

the relief factor has increased from 1.6 to 2.1, up more than 25 percent. This happens as the 

same number of employee benefit days off actually provide more hr off when 10-hr shifts are 

used, e.g., 10 holidays now results in 100 off-duty hr per annum, instead of 80. 

59

Appendix C: Representative Dispatcher Schedules and Raster Plots 

This appendix contains dispatcher schedules and corresponding raster plots for each of the six 

dispatching operations described in Section 2. 
60

D 1 DD D D D - -

D 2 - - D D D DD

D 3 -DDDDDD 4 DD D D - - D

E 5 - - E E E EE

E 6 E - - E E EE

E 7 E - - E E EE

E 8 -EEEEEN 9 NN - - N NN

N 10 NN N - - NN

N 11 NN N - - NN

N 12 N - - N N NN

R 13 E-1 E-1 N-1 - - D-1 D-1

R 14 D-2 D-2 E-2 N-2 N-2 - -

R 15 D-3 E-3 E-3 N-3 - - D-3

R 16 E-4 N-4 - - D-4 D-4 E-4

R 17 E-2 N-4 N-1 N-3

X 1 - - - - - NN

NN N - - - -

-E - - E -D

D- N - - N-

--N- - --

X 2 - - - - - EE

-D - - - D-

-E - N- - -

-E - - - -E

EE - N - - -

X 3 - - - - - NN

- - N - NN-

- - - - N-E

-E ENN - -

-- - - - --

X 4 - - - - - -E

EE - DDD -

- - - - - -D

-DD - - - -

-- - -N--

X 5 -- - - - --

-DDD - - -

- - NN- - -

- - - - - E-

-EEEE - -

X 6 - - - - - E-

-D - D - - -

-- - - - --

-- - - - --

- - -N--

CONRAIL TRAIN DISPATCHER SCHEDULE FORMAT

5On - 2Off Non Self Relieving 3 Fixed Shifts with Swing Relief Crew Extra Board Jobs

 (4 week cycle)

Monday Tuesday Sunday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Relief Jobs

Cycle)

(1 Wk Reg. Scheduled Jobs (1 Week Cycle)

SHIFT/ID
61

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

1st Shift (D1) -Conrail

Hours of Day

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

3rd Shift (N9) -Conrail

2nd Shift (E5) -Conrail

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day
62

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Hours of Day

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R15) -Conrail

Relief Shift (R14) -Conrail

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R13) - Conrail

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Midnight Noon

Working Hours 
63

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R17) -Conrail

Midnight Noon Midnight

Relief Shift (R16) -Conrail

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Noon

Hours of Day
64

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Hours of Day

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Extra Board Shift X1 - Conrail
65

D 1 - D D DDD -

D 2 DD D D - - D

D 3 DD D DD - -

D 4 DD D DD - -

E 5 E - - EEEE

E 6 - E E EEE -

E 7 - - E EEEE

E 8 EE E EE - -

N 9 NN - - NNN

N 10 - - N NNNN

N 11 N - - NNNN

R 12 D-1 E-1 N-1 N-1 - - D-1

R 13 N-2 N-2 - - D-2 D-2 E-2

R 14 E-3 N-3 N-3 - - D-3 D-3

R X E-2 E-3 E-1 - - - -

X 1 E - D DD - D

D- - - - -D

DD D DD - -

- - D DDDD

X 2 - D - - NNN

- - - E- - -

- E E - EEE

-EE - - - -

X 3 - - - - -D-

-- - ----

-- - ----

-- - ----

X 4 -- - -- -

- - - N- - -

-- - ----

-- - ----

X 5 -- - ----

-DDD- - -

- - - D- - -

D- N - - - -

X 6 -- - ----

-- - ----

-- - ----

E- - - - - -

X 7 -NN - - - -

-- - ----

-- - ----

-- - ----

X 8 -- - ----

- - - N- - -

-- - ----

-- - ----

METRA TRAIN DISPATCHER SCHEDULE FORMAT

5On - 2Off Non Self Relieving 3 Fixed Shifts with Swing Relief Crew

SHIFT/ID Friday Monday Tuesday Sunday Wednesday Saturday Extra Board Jobs (4 week cycle)Thursday

Reg. Scheduled Jobs

(1 Week Cycle)

Relief Jobs

Cycle)

(1 Wk 
66

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Noon Midnight Noon

Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

3rd Shift (N9) - Metra

Midnight 

Hours of Day

1st Shift (D1) - Metra

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

2nd Shift (E5) - Metra

Midnight Noon
67

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R14) - Metra

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Noon

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R12) - Metra

Midnight Noon Midnight

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R13) - Metra

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Working Hours 
68

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Hours of Day

Extra Board Shift X2 -Metra

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
69

D 1 DD D D - - D

D 2 DD D DD - -

D 3 - D D DDD -

D 4 DD D DD - -

D 5 DD D DD - -

D 6 DD D D - - D

D 7 DD D DD - -

D 8 DD D DD - -

D 9 - - D DDDD

D 10 DD - - DDD

D 11 DD D D - - -

E 12 - E E EEE -

E 13 EE E EE - -

E 14 EE E E - - E

E 15 EE E EE - -

E 16 EE - - EEE

E 17 EE E EE - -

E 18 EE E EE - -

E 19 EE E EE - -

E 20 - - E EEEE

E 21 E E - - EEE

N 22 NN N N - - N

N 23 - N N NNN -

N 24 NN N N - - N

N 25 NN N NN - -

N 26 - - N NNNN

N 27 N N - - N N N

R 28 D - - - DDD

R 29 N - - - EEN

R 30 E - - - DDE

R 31 - - E ENN -

R 32 E EEE- - -

X 1 -- - ----

D .5 D .5 D .5 D .5 D .5 - -

D .5 D - - - - -

-- - ----

X 2 -DD - - -D

D .5 - - - D .5 D .5 D .5

D .5 - - - D .5 D .5 D .5

D .5 D .5 - - - - -

X 3 -D - -D- -

DD E E - EE

- - - -D-D

D - D .5 D .5 D .5 D .5 D .5

X 4 DE E EE - -

- - E EENN

- - - D D D D .5

D D .5 D .5 D .5 - - -

X 5 - - - - - EE

EE E EEE -

- - - EE - -

- E - - EEE

X 6 E- - - - - -

-- - ----

- - - -N- -

N N .5 N .5 N .5 - - E

X 7 D- DD- -D

DD D - - - D

DD D D - - -

-- - ----

X 8 -D - -D- -

- - D DD - -

-- - ----

- - D DDD -

X 9 -- - ----

E- - E- -D

NN N NNN -

- E - EE - -

X 10 E- - - - - -

NN N NNNN

-- - ----

- - EE- - -

5On - 2Off Non Self Relieving 3 Fixed Shifts with Swing Relief Crew

Metro North TRAIN DISPATCHER SCHEDULE FORMAT Regular Scheduled Jobs

(1 Week Cycle)

Relief Jobs

(1 Wk Cycle)

SHIFT/ID Sunday Thursday Friday Extra Board Jobs (4 week cycle)Monday Tuesday Wednesday Saturday
70

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Hours of Day

3rd Shift (N22) -Metro North

2nd Shift (E12) -Metro North

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Midnight 

1st Shift (D1) -Metro North

Hours of Day

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
71

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Relief Shift (R28) - Metro North

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Relief Shift (R29) -Metro North

Hours of Day

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R30) -Metro North

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day
72

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Relief Shift (R31) -Metro North

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R32) -Metro North

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
73

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Hours of Day

Extra Board Shift X4 -Metro North

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
74

D 1 DD D D D - -

D 2 D - - D D DD

D 3 -D D DDDD 4 DD D D D - -

D 5 DD D D D -

E 5 EE E E E - -

E 6 -E E EEEE 7 EE E E - - E

E 8 EE E E E - -

E 9 EE E E E - -

N 10 - - N N N NN

N 11 NN - - N NN

R 12 D-3 D-2 D-2 N-2 - - D-3

R 13 N-1 N-1 - - E-3 E-3 E-1

R X E-2 - N-2 - - - -

X 1 - - - NNN-

-D E - - -N

NN N N - - -

-- - -D--

X 2 - - D DD - -

DD - E E - D

-D D DD - -

DD D D D DD

X 3 E- D - - -D

E - E - - EE

EE E E E - -

-- - D- --

X 4 DD - D D - -

-- N - - --

- D - - - DD

- - N - - -D

LIRR TRAIN DISPATCHER SCHEDULE FORMAT

5On - 2Off Non Self Relieving 3 Fixed Shifts with Swing Relief Crew

SHIFT/ID Saturday Tuesday Sunday Wednesday Thursday Friday Regular Scheduled Jobs

(1 Week Cycle)

Relief 

Jobs

Cycle)

(1 Wk 

Extra Board Jobs

 (4 week cycle)

Monday
75

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

1st Shift (D1) - LIRR

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Hours of Day

2nd Shift (E5) - LIRR

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

3rd Shift (N10) - LIRR

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
76

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Relief Shift (R12) - LIRR

Midnight 

Relief Shift (R13) - LIRR

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day
77

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Hours of Day

Extra Board Shift X1 -LIRR

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
78

D 1 DD D DD - -

D 2 DD D DD - -

D 3 DD D DD - -

D 4 DD D D - - D

D 5 DD D D - - D

D 6 - D D DDD -

D 7 - D D DDD -

D 8 D - - DDDD

E 9 EE E EE - -

E 10 EE E EE - -

E 11 E - - EEEE

E 12 - E E EEE -

E 13 - E E EEE -

E 14 - - E EEEE

E 15 - - E EEEE

E 16 EE E - - EE

N 17 NN N NN - -

N 18 NN N N - - N

N 19 N - - NNNN

N 20 NN - - NNN

N 21 NN - - NNN

N 22 - - N NNNN

N 23 NN N - - NN

R 24 D-7 D-1 - - D-6 D-6 D-7

R 25 - - D-3 E-7 E-7 E-6 E-6

R 26 E-4 N-4 - - D-4 D-4 E-4

R 27 E-1 E-1 N-1 - - D-1 D-1

R 28 D-5 E-5 E-5 N-5 - - D-5

R 29 N-4 N N-5 N-6 N - -

R 30 - - N-1 N-6 N-3 N-3 N

R 31 E-8 E-8 N-7 - - D-8 D-8

R 32 E-2 N-7 - - - E-3 E-3

X 1 NN - NN - -

N - - NNN -

-- - ----

D - - NNNN

X 2 -E - - - - -

- - - - - -E

-- - ----

- - - - -DX 3 - E N - - DD

EE N - - DD

E- - - - - -

N - - - NN -

X 4 D- - N- -N

- - - D- -N

D - - NNNN

- - - - - DD

X 5 - - - -D- -

- D - - - DD

- - D -D- -

-- - ----

X 6 - - - - DN -

-- - ----

E - - EE - -

- - - - - -E

X 7 N - - - - EE

- - - DD - -

-- - ----

- - - - - -N

X 8 -- - ----

-- - ----

-- - ----

-N - - - - -

X 9 -- - ----

-- - ----

- - - - - EE

-- - ----

X 10 N - - DDD -

-- - ----

-N - - - - -

-- - ----

Extra Board Jobs

 (4 week cycle)

R

eli

e

f

J

o

bs

Cycle)

(1 Wk Regular Scheduled Jobs (1 Week Cycle)

Monday Thursday Friday Saturday

BNSF (SOUTHWEST) TRAIN DISPATCHER SCHEDULE FORMAT

5On - 2Off Non Self Relieving 3 Fixed Shifts with Swing Relief Crew

SHIFT/ID Tuesday Sunday Wednesday
79

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

1st Shift (D1) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Hours of Day

2nd Shift (E9) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

3rd Shift (N17) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
80

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Relief Shift (R24) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight 

Relief Shift (R25) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R26) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day
81

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Relief Shift (R27) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R28) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R29) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Working Hours 

Working Hours 
82

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Relief Shift (R30) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R31) - BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R32) - BNSF Southwest

Hours of Day

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Working Hours 
83

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Hours of Day

Extra Board Shift X3 -BNSF Southwest

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
84

D 1 DD D D - - D

D 2 D - - DDDD

D 3 DD D - - DD

D 4 DD D D - - D

D 5 - D D DDD -

D 6 D - - DDDD

E 7 - E E EEE -

E 8 EE E - - EE

E 9 - - E EEEE

E 10 - E E EEE -

E 11 E - - EEEE

E 12 EE E EE - -

N 13 N - - NNNN

N 14 NN N NN - -

N 15 NN - - NNN

N 16 - - N NNNN

N 17 NN - - NNN

N 18 NN N N - - N

R 19 D-5 D-6 - - D-4 D-4 D-5

R 20 E-4 E-5 E-5 - - - E-4

R 21 N-4 N-4 N-5 N-5 N-6 - -

R X - D-2 D-2 - - - -

R X E-3 - - E-2 E-2 - -

X 1 - - - - - NN

- - - - NNN

NN - - - - -

- - N NNN -

X 2 - - - - - -N

- - N N - EE

EE E - - NN

- - NN- - -

X 3 - - - DD - -

DD - - D - D

- - - - DD -

-- - ----

X 4 - - - - - NN

- - - - - NN

- - - - NNN

- - EN-EX 5 - - E EEEE

- E E EEE -

- - - EEEE

- - E EEEE

X 6 EE N N - - -

- - - D - DD

- - D - DD -

EE - - DD -

X 7 -- - ----

EN N - - - -

EE E E - - -

- E E - NNN

X 8 - - - E- -E

E - - - EEE

E- - - - -D

E- - E-EX 9 DD - D - - D

DD E E - - E

-DNN-EN - - NNN -

X 10 -- - ----

-- - ----

- - - -N- -

NN N NN - -

Union Pacific TRAIN DISPATCHER SCHEDULE FORMAT

5On - 2Off Non Self Relieving 3 Fixed Shifts with Swing Relief Crew

SHIFT/ID Regular Scheduled Jobs (1 Week Cycle)Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Relief Jobs

Cycle)

(1 Wk 

Extra Board Jobs

 (4 week cycle)

Monday Tuesday
85

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

1st Shift (D1) - Union Pacific

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Hours of Day

2nd Shift (E7) - Union Pacific

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

3rd Shift (N13) - Union Pacific

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
86

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Relief Shift (R19) - Union Pacific

Midnight 

Relief Shift (R20) - Union Pacific

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Noon Midnight Noon

Hours of Day

Hours of Day

Relief Shift (R21) - Union Pacific

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon
87

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

Mon/Tue

Tue/Wed

Wed/Thu

Thu/Fri

Fri/Sat

Sat/Sun

Sun/Mon

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Working Hours

Hours of Day

Extra Board Shift X9 -UP

Midnight Noon Midnight Noon

89

Appendix D: Alternate Schedule Formats 

D.1 Fixed bracket (FB) schedules 

• These schedules allow for each employee to be permanently assigned to the same shift. 

These types of schedule methods usually are of a seven day format where each employee 

is always off-duty on the same days each week (e.g., some dispatchers may be off-duty 

Saturday and Sunday, while others are off-duty on Tuesday and Wednesday). In 

addition, fixed bracket schedules have the following characteristics: 

• Work and off-duty periods are usually uniform in length. 

• Dispatchers are permanently assigned to a shift. 

• The number of on-duty dispatchers may be uniform by day of week on each shift, or it 

may vary from day to day (e.g., in proportion to a cyclic day-of-week workload 

distribution). 

• Dispatchers are on duty the same number of days and hr in every calendar week. 

• Schedule equity, in terms of days off and shift assignments, is not provided. 

• Complete team integrity and unity of command are not provided unless all team members 

and their supervisor are off-duty on the same days of the week. 

• Holidays cannot be included as regularly scheduled off-duty days; and schedules are 

relatively easy to design compared to the other types of schedules discussed. 

D.2 Basic duty cycle schedules 

Principle properties of basic duty cycle schedules include the following: 

• All dispatchers follow the same pattern of shift assignments and off-duty days (i.e., The 

duty cycle pattern), which continually repeats throughout the schedule design interval. 

The duty cycle is not necessarily restricted to seven days in length. 

• Coverage is provided 7 days a week on each staffed shift. 

• The number of on-duty dispatchers is nearly uniform by day of week on each shift. 

• The number of on-duty dispatchers may be uniform by shift, or it may vary from shift to 

shift. 

• Off-duty days are not fixed (e.g., An employee’s off-duty days can change from week to 

week). 

• Shift assignments are usually not fixed and may change within a single week or be fixed 

for several weeks (however, fixed shift assignments may be achieved by designing 

separate duty cycle schedules for each shift). 

• In general, employees do not have to be on duty the same number of days and hr in every 

calendar week. 

• Schedule equity, in terms of the number of on-duty assignments on each shift and the 

lengths of each employee’s work and off-duty periods, is provided. 
90

• Schedule equity, in terms of the number of off-duty periods, is also provided. 

• The length, in days, of the duty cycle pattern is equal to the number of groups of 

dispatchers being scheduled. 

• Complete team integrity and unity of command are not provided unless all team members 

and their supervisor are assigned to the same group. 

D.3 Extended duty cycle schedules 

This variant of the basic duty cycle schedule has all of the above properties of basic duty cycle 

schedules except that the length, in days, of the duty cycle pattern is a multiple of the number of 

groups of employees being scheduled. For example, if there are four groups of employees, then 

the duty cycle pattern might be 4, 8 or 12 weeks. In addition, extended duty cycle schedules 

have the following properties not necessarily provided by basic duty cycle schedules: 

• “Better” schedules can be designed when the number of employees being scheduled is 

usually small. 

• Work periods are uniform in length. 

• Shift changes are less frequent than in basic duty cycle schedules. 

• Extended off-duty periods are more easily provided than in basic duty cycle schedules. 

• Scheduling of one-day off-duty periods and consecutive on-duty days on different shifts 

can usually be avoided. 

• Over a long period of time(e.g., a year or more) the number of on-duty assignments on 

each shift, the lengths of work and off-duty periods, and the number of weekends and 

other days of the week included in off-duty periods, balance among employees. 

D.4 Proportional rotating (PR) schedules (one-shift and multi-shift) 

Principal properties of these schedules include the following: 

• All employees follow the same duty cycle (the pattern of on- and off-duty assignments), 

which repeats continually throughout the schedule design interval. 

• This duty cycle is a whole number of weeks in length. 

• The number of groups of employees being scheduled is equal to the length of the duty 

cycle in weeks. 

• The number of on-duty employees can be nearly uniform by day of week and shift, or it 

can vary from shift to shift, and by day of week on each shift. 

• Employees’ shift assignments can be fixed (one-shift schedules) or rotate periodically 

(multi-shift schedules). 

• In general, employees are not on duty the same number of days and hr in every calendar 

week. 

• There is schedule equity, in terms of the lengths of each employee’s work and off-duty 

periods and the number of weekends and other days of the week included in each 

employee’s off-duty periods. 
91

• Multi-shift proportional rotating schedules are also equitable in terms of the proportion of 

each employee’s time spent on duty on individual shifts. 

• On- and off-duty periods of different lengths must usually be scheduled. 

• For multi-shift schedules, employees are assigned to shifts for a whole number of weeks. 

• Holidays can be easily included as regularly scheduled off-duty days. 

• Team integrity and unity of command are not provided unless all team members and their 

supervisor are assigned to the same group. 

• These schedules tend to be more difficult to design than fixed bracket or duty cycle 

schedules. 

93

Abbreviations 

BNSF Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway 

CTC centralized train control 

FRA Federal Railroad Administration 

LIRR Long Island Rail Road 

OSF optimal staffing formula 

RFF relief factor formulas 

SP Southern Pacific Railroad 

SRF shift relief factor 

UP Union Pacific Railroad