ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Future Transp.
Sec. Transport Safety
Assessment of Urban Rail Train Drivers' Emergency Handling Capability Based on a Physio-Psycho-Machine-Environment-Management Multidimensional Framework
Provisionally accepted
- 1Faculty of Science, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- 2Kunming Rail Transit Operation Co., Ltd., Kunming, China
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This study addresses two major limitations in the current evaluation system for urban rail train drivers' emergency handling capability: the lack of clearly defined criteria, and an overemphasis on technical skills to the neglect of psychological factors. We innovatively construct a multidimensional evaluation framework based on the Physio-Psycho-Machine-Environment-Management (PPMEM) model. Through a systematic analysis of the core components of emergency response capability and its influencing factors, a mechanism model rooted in "Human-Machine-Environment-Management" theory is established. Empirically, 30 key influencing factors were identified and categorized into seven dimensions: cognitive, physiological, skill-based, psychological, equipment, environmental, and managerial. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. During the qualitative phase, a system of influencing factors was determined through field studies and in-depth expert interviews. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire survey was administered to employees of Kunming Rail Transit Operations Co., Ltd. (N = 538 valid responses), and a multidimensional evaluation model was developed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Amos 26 Graphics. The results indicate that the total effects of latent variables on emergency handling capability, in descending order, are: psychological factors (β = 0.214) > physiological factors (β = 0.212) > environmental factors (β = 0.205) > equipment status (β = 0.126) > cognitive factors (β = 0.105) = skill-based factors (β = 0.105) > managerial factors (β = 0.102). Notably, psychological, physiological, and environmental factors all exhibited effect sizes exceeding the significant threshold of 0.2, constituting a core group of determinants for emergency response performance. Therefore, metro operators should prioritize improvements in drivers' workload management, mental health support, and environmental adaptability, supplemented by targeted skill and cognitive training, as well as policy refinement. These measures will contribute to a systematic enhancement of emergency response capabilities. The This is a provisional file, not the final typeset article findings provide both a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for strengthening emergency management systems in urban rail transit.
Keywords: emergency handling capability4, Physio-Psycho-Machine-Environment-Management1, structural equation modeling (SEM)5, traindriver3, urban rail transit2
Received: 03 Oct 2025; Accepted: 30 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, He, Liu, Huang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jingwen Yang
Jing He
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