This past month of May, the new Alstom S7000/8000 Train Driver and Troubleshooting Training Simulator was installed in the Training Centre of the Barcelona Metropolitan Railway (TMB), located in the Hospital Clínic metro station.
This new simulator has three new training cabins that are faithful reproductions of the train’s actual driving space. It also has a highly detailed simulation model of the S7000/8000 train that reproduces all its electric and pneumatic diagrams as well as its electronic systems and dynamics. The training booths include the tracks for the L1 and L3 lines, which use Alstom’s ATP/ATO signalling system.
The cabins feature highly realistic state-of-the-art visuals based on a Unity engine, which allow students to immerse themselves in the scenario. A touch screen outside the cabin with an intuitive and didactic interface also provides the students with all the circuit breakers, valves, doors and cabinets of the train unit that a driver needs to use and be familiar with, including operations such as cab changes.
These facilities are integrated into the comprehensive driving and traffic control simulator, which enables the new simulators to perform training exercises with simultaneous interactions between several drivers (simulation cabins and train series) and the CCM (Metro Control Centre) command post in real time.
With this new addition, the Comprehensive Simulator for Driving, Breakdown Repair and Operation (SICRAO) installed in the Hospital Clínic Training Centre is now fully equipped, and includes all of the following elements:
- A simulation room: this space contains different simulation booths that can work independently or in conjunction:
- Three cabins for the S7000/S8000 series that run along lines L1 and L3.
- Three cabins for the S6000/S5000 series that run along lines L1, L3 and L5.
- Two cabins for the S4000/S3000 series that run along lines L1 and L3.
- Three versatile CCM stations for lines L1, L3 and L5, which include an identical interface to that of traffic control, radio communications with the train and the traffic regulation application.
- Two Instructor stations: which allow instructors to assign exercises to students, set the pace of training, follow student progress, interact with the different simulations and carry out objective and subjective evaluations.
- An observation room: This classroom with capacity for 12 people allows students to gradually familiarise themselves with the training content.
- An administrator station: where the exercises and training content are designed and student progress is monitored.
- The system is integrated into the Moodle training platform, which allows for online theory training and testing, among other features, thus complementing the practical training programme taught with the simulator.
