Who is a shunting dispatcher on the railway and what are his duties

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Railroad is a big organism with many locations, tracks and jobs. Have you thought about where the formation of trains from individual cars takes place and who is in charge of this? In this article, you can get acquainted with the principles of organizing work at marshalling yards and find out who is the person who controls everything that happens.

What is a sorting station

The essence of marshalling yards is that wagons are sorted there depending on parameters such as:

• types of cargo;
• who is the sender and recipient;
• what direction is chosen.

In order to be able to do all the work, the station has slides (vary in power), exhaust tracks and marshalling yards.

What is the advantage for Russian railways of having marshalling stations? The train (through) train formed there will easily pass a large number of station points on the way to a certain destination, significantlyincreasing the speed of cargo transportation. In addition, this maneuver helps to reduce the cost of freight transportation.

Organization of shunting operations at the station

Complex shunting teams are being organized for the ongoing work. This means that in addition to the main representatives of such a team (locomotive driver and train compiler), this includes workers in the technical field.

Such an indicator as the speed with which the dissolution of wagons at marshalling yards depends on the power of the brakes. In accordance with this, it is adjusted. It is also important what is the technical condition of the train, the characteristics of the track development and the presence of favorable weather conditions. If you set the right speed for such a process, it will become a significant indicator in increasing the level of safety of work in an integrated team.

All shunting actions are performed no further than the designated station boundaries. Permission is required to exercise them outside the limits.

Specifics of shunting dispatcher operation

All these complex operations related to the organization of the process of formation and distribution of trains are under the leadership of one person. So, who is a shunting dispatcher on the railroad? This is a specialist who controls the movement of shunting trains, sends a shunting team to various access roads in order to clean or supply wagons. He also distributes tasks betweenexecutors of this difficult task, compilers of trains.

The dispatcher concentrates all sorts of data related to the operation of the station: information about arriving trains, about planned detachments and connections, about technical and commercial defects, and so on. The shunting superintendent himself is subordinate to the train dispatcher, who manages the movement of trains on the section with not one, but with several stations.

Requirements for appointment

To get this job, you need to match not only your inner qualities, but also meet the official selection criteria. This includes the presence of higher (specialist) or secondary (professional) education. In the first case, work experience of at least a year in an organization for the operation of railway transport is required. In the second - work experience in a similar place for at least 3 years.

There are also special conditions in order to obtain admission to this work:

• Required briefing related to labor protection, industrial and fire safety.
• Medical screening required (initial, regular and unscheduled as needed).

Knowledge and skills required in the work of a station shunting dispatcher

Since one person manages a large number of people and teams, then he must have a considerable amount of knowledge and skills. Here are the top ones from a long list:

• Knowledgeset of rules for loading, as well as the conditions for its implementation.
• Knowing the rules for the use of railways in technical terms.
• Having an idea of what the plan of necessary measures to stop and eliminate the consequences of accidents looks like.
• Possession of instructions related to the movement of trains and shunting work;
• The ability to correctly assess the effectiveness of the transport communication that occurs between workshops and production areas.

The main duties of a dispatcher

The shunting dispatcher has many responsibilities, since control and regulation are required in several directions at once:

1. Analysis and evaluation of the work done by staff.
2. Planning for cargo work.
3. Drafting effective schemes for direct shunting work.
4. Creating a clear list of work that needs to be done to disband and form squads.
5. Maintain necessary internal documentation.
6. Development of measures related to the strict adherence to the schedule for the delivery and cleaning of wagons.
7. Preparation and performance of work related to the transfer of wagons from the freight fleet of an industrial organization.

Conclusion

The shunting dispatcher plays a very important role in the work of the marshalling yard. He forms the general mood of the team, is responsible for the productivity of the entire shift, controls the time and movement of his subordinates. It is also very importantso that the dispatcher creates the right mood for work: if there are dissatisfied or insufficiently motivated employees, coordinated actions will not work. And this is a key link in the chain leading to the achievement of a harmonious and productive system.

It is necessary that the person holding this position be an expert in his field. He must know the station perfectly, have the opportunity and the necessary skills in order to help solve the problem at any site at the right time. And this knowledge should be not only theoretical, but also be supported by practice. After all, the best bosses are those who start from the bottom and go all the way up the career ladder. To plan and control work, it is not enough just to read the instructions - you need to know the essence of the matter from the inside.

In addition to technical skills, the shunting dispatcher must be able to find the right approach to work with his team and senior management: if there is no well-coordinated communication and understanding between people, then the work of the entire sorting center will not be clear and competent. As a result, the end result will not be satisfactory. Therefore, one cannot fail to note the great importance of the person working in this position, his role in the organization and control of the entire marshalling yard.