Development of a System to Utilize Tablets for Improved Response to Abnormal Situations

In an effort to further improve transport quality by making use of information and communication technology (ICT), the authors have developed functions to improve response to transport disorders by utilizing tablet personal computers (PCs) for train crews. The three developed functions that were added to the tablets are for “timetable transfer,” “computerization of rule books and manuals,” and “tablet location identification.” In the field tests, all crew members of the crew depot who participated in the tests carried a tablet, and they were able to smoothly use those functions without any serious problem. The transfer of timetables to the tablets in transport disorder enabled us to shorten the time to make necessary arrangements to resume train operation.