Railway Simulation

SIMURAIL is a hardware and software solution for railway companies; it offers added value to training courses for train drivers with regard to:

• driving and operations on board the train;
• service missions.

The train driving module allows drivers to:

• familiarise themselves with the equipment and diagnostic systems in the driver cab;
• familiarise themselves with signals on the line;
• learn to drive trains in different weather conditions and varying conditions of visibility and grip, including abnormal and emergency situations;
• familiarise themselves with the electrical and pneumatic system of the train.

The module for service missions offers a number of functions, for example:

• teach how to drive a train on an existing railway line reproduced with a high degree of realism in three-dimensional CAD;
• handle communications between the driver and the station master or between the driver and the traffic controller;
• driving sessions aimed at ensuring maximum comfort for passengers;
• driving sessions aimed at saving energy and reducing emissions of CO2;
• driving sessions aimed at better use of the train and all its components: electrical, hydraulic and mechanical.

SIMURAIL also reproduces the instrument panel and instructor's console. The instrument panel includes the real devices of the simulated train such as the gauges, indicators, lights, buttons, brake, clutch, CAB RADIO and SCMT (or ERTMS); a large screen that shows the front view of the driver; a stereo system for playing various noises; and a touch screen panel that simulates all the switches behind the driver.

The instructor console enables full control of the simulation, including CCTV display of the trainee driver at the simulator and train-to-ground communications; in this way, the instructor can communicate with the trainee driving the train, simulating the station master or the traffic controller, and can also cause damage to the train and line signals.

On the simulated line, the trainee driver can see other moving trains and, since SIMURAIL can be integrated with SIMACEI, take part in an integrated training session with other drivers and station masters.

SIMURAIL offers sophisticated management of the entire train and signalling line, under normal and poor conditions; this allows the instructor to prepare infinite scenarios by simulating unusual or emergency situations. All this represents a particularly innovative aspect of the training system and helps to involve trainee drivers in situations that would be difficult to recreate in reality.

Our systems are entirely based on Italian know-how and technology; SIMURAIL is part of the family of simulators developed by SHRAIL, a division of the D&T company in Milan.

SIMACEI is a simulator of electric route interlocking devices available to all station masters (switches, signals, level crossings, indicators, etc...) and line controllers (BA, BCA) that can recreate situations of normal service but also emergency situations at the station or on the line.

It is important to emphasise how SIMACEI can truly simulate all the electromechanical devices of the selected station with uploading of the actual circuit diagrams.

The system is able to support station masters during initial training and refresher courses.

With SIMACEI, the station master learns to properly and efficiently operate all station equipment in order to ensure normal service operations and, therefore, keep trains running on time; the most important training the station master receives is that regarding emergency situations and the management of these to ensure rapid resumption of service and minimum delays on the line.

When integrated with SIMURAIL, SIMACEI offers the station master the opportunity to take part in training sessions with the trainee drivers on the same simulated line.