The increasing passenger demand for rail service in the Netherlands, urges the Dutch infrastructure manager (IM) ProRail to increase network capacity. Instead of building new infrastructure, ProRail promotes information and communications technology solutions which aim for a more efficient utilization of the existing infrastructure. One of the ways to achieve improved capacity utilization is through decreasing the variability of train runs, i.e. by attaining more uniform train driving profiles. A driver advisory system (DAS) constitutes such a solution and it serves as a support for the driver to perform the train driving tasks. Additionally, the rollout of the European Train Control System Level 2 (ETCS L2) on the first part of the mainline Dutch network is planned for 2030. Developing a DAS compatible with ETCS L2 operation would yield high quality advice. Still, until the complete roll out of ETCS L2, ProRail aims to improve capacity on given bottlenecks using existing systems. A DAS constitutes a nonsafety critical, Grade of Automation 1 system. Under DAS operation, the driver adjusts the train controls and he/she is responsible for the safety of operations. A frequently arising problem when using a DAS, is that its advice usually leads to conflicts due to poor or no consideration of the actual traffic. An approach to handle this, is to provide the speed profile calculation module of a DAS with a dynamic speed profile that considers static and temporary speed restrictions as well as speed restrictions originating from the signalling system. The latter approach increases a DAS’s awareness regarding the actual signal state. This study aims to tackle conflicts with the latter approach. This approach for coping with conflicts when using a DAS is mentioned by several publications or commercial DASs but none of them explicitly defines how this is achieved. The main aim of this study is to increase the awareness of a conceptual CDASOn board regarding the actual signal state in order to minimise conflicts in disturbed operations. The proposed framework addresses the a CDASOn board operating on top of the Dutch signalling system NS’54 and the ClassB automatic train protection system ATBEG. In order to increase the proposed model’s effectiveness, this information must be provided in real time. Realtime signalling information is delivered on board by the maximum allowed speed data stream (Figure 1). It is proven that the only missing function from existing ProRail systems to provide this realtime information flow, is to determine the red signal in real time. Thus, the initial objective of this study can be scoped down to determining the red signal. It is also proven that the goal of determining the red signal is equivalent to the goal of locating the predecessor train. This information is planned to be fed to the on board equipment of a DAS via a novel data stream. Additionally, this section explained how this data stream fits to the train control architecture using a CDASOn board.

The extensive amount of knowledge possessed by an organization represents one of its most valuable resources. Nonetheless, it is not always easy to pinpoint, arrange and reuse such knowledge in an effective and productive manner. Moreover, in the last two decades companies have been increasingly using serious games and simulations for the most diverse scopes. While a consequent interest has been growing in the field of knowledge management regarding how to codify and reuse the information generated by these new innovative tools, there is still no clear understanding of what are the games' requirements which are responsible for the generation of knowledge. In addition to this, many theories can be identified in the available literature which developed methods and models for knowledge conversion and sharing; however, none of this models has yet been applied to the context of serious games and simulations.
As a consequence of this recognized gap in the available literature, as well as of the need for organizations to develop a series of knowledge management systems and practices for the sharing and reusing of knowledge generate through games, this thesis research aims at understanding what are the necessary requirements for games to foster the development, as well as the reuse, of tacit knowledge.

Primary scope of this thesis project has thus been to determine what games' elements represent a fundamental requirement for the generation of both explicit knowledge and tacit skills. In addition to this, the research has taken into consideration different groups of actors (game designers, participants/players, project team members, managers), and attempted to verify whether any dissimilarities exist among these groups in the way of perceiving games' requirements, and their impact on knowledge creation and sharing. Finally, in the light of the obtained results, suggestions have been proposed on the most appropriate knowledge management systems and procedure to use in the context of serious games and simulations.

The research has been carried out in the form of an embedded, single-case study: the main unit of analysis - and client - was ProRail, the government organization which manages the maintenance and extensions of the national railway network infrastructure, the allocation of rail capacity, and the traffic control. The embedded units of analysis were instead represented by different games employed within the organization (OV-SAAL, Ketensimulatie, ERTMS). Once the games have been identified, other research methods have been applied within the case study framework, in particular: semi-structured interviews and Q-sorting.

Concluding this dissertation report, recommendations for ProRail - the customer of this thesis project - have been outlined, by combining the obtained insights with theories from available literature. The scope has been to define suggestions for a knowledge management framework for serious games and simulations. The suggested framework, result of the joint efforts of different TU Delft researchers and ProRail's employees, is presented in the second-last chapter of this dissertation in the form of a set of recommendations for ProRail.