The Investigation of Visual Characteristics of High‐Speed Railway Drivers: Perspectives of Light Environment

High‐speed railway (HSR) operations heavily rely on visual inputs, yet there is a notable gap in examining how HSR drivers adjust their eye movements in response to different lighting conditions, despite the pivotal role visual cues play in such environments. This investigation employed a Tobii Nano eye‐tracker to capture the visual behaviors of HSR drivers during simulated driving exercises. It centered on 4 areas of interest (AOIs): the front window, prompt area, dashboard, and speed dial. By using Train Sim World 3, we created 3 scenes (open section, short tunnel, and long tunnel) and utilized 4 key metrics (average pupil diameter, APD; time to first fixation, TFF; duration of first fixation, DFF; fixation duration, FD) to evaluate the variations in visual attention patterns of HSR drivers. The results reveal a significant relationship between these indicators and driving scenes. Drivers in tunnel settings tend to have a longer time to form fixations, reflected by longer TFF, duration of first fixation (DFF), and FD. Pupil dilation is most pronounced in tunnels with weaker light (long tunnels), while stronger light (short tunnels) leads to increased TFF, DFF, and FD. At the outset of the driving task, the front window and speed dial are the earliest fixated (earlier TFF). Throughout the driving, speed dial continues to be a central fixation, manifested by extended DFF and FD. Gaining insight into HSR drivers’ visual behaviors is essential for enhancing driving safety.