Use of Full-Fidelity Simulators for Training Signallers

(a) (b)
Tim Salter , Pete Treble
(a)
The Railway Engineering Company
(b)
The Railway Engineering Company

Article Information Abstract

Keywords: Full-fidelity Simulators that provide a near total replica of the real systems have been used for
Simulator, Full-Fidelity, Signaller, many years in aviation to train and assess pilots and air traffic controllers. So realistic have
Training, Assessment they become they are now even used as a method to convert pilots from one aircraft type to
another, often with zero airborne time involved in the conversion for pilots.
Corresponding author:
This paper discusses the technical aspects and application of similar technology for training
Tim Salter
and regularly assessing Signallers in operating complex VDU based electronic Signalling
Tel.:+44 (0)1225 860140
Centres. Over 75 replica simulations of each Signaller Workstation for the controlled areas
Fax.:+44 (0)1225 867698
have been supplied in Europe and incorporate accurate models of the interlocking, the exact
e-mail: tim.salter@theraileng.co.uk
Workstation screen layout and controls, current timetable, track topology and train
Address: The Railway Engineering
performance..
Company, Manvers House, Kingston
Road, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1AB

1 Introduction
Full-fidelity Simulators are now a regular part of the
training curriculum for Signallers as they provide the
means to practice the routine tasks in controlling trains
and crucially, emergency and traffic delay scenarios in a
safe, off-line and totally realistic environment. The
Signaller is constantly observed and monitored during
each session by an experienced Trainer / Assessor who
has the ability to rapidly change the session from a
normal situation to one involving a failed train, faulty Figure 1: Very early Signaller training using a miniature
switches, signals and track circuits, Signal Passed At
Danger (SPAD), plus create adverse weather conditions model of the lever frames
etc.
Therefore a Trainee (and even a Signaller with extensive
1.1 Background and History experience) could go many months without experiencing
an abnormal situation or even years for an emergency.
Training of Signallers traditionally has been achieved in Many case studies from the railway and similar safety
many countries by having a new and inexperienced critical industries such as aviation, nuclear power etc has
Trainee shadow a Signaller with a number of years of shown that thorough knowledge of the rules and theory
experience. This was deemed to be “on-the-job” training provide no guarantee of how any individual will handle a
and was sometimes combined with a model railway and real emergency. Only regular exposure to and practice of
miniature model of the equipment. In the days of lever these events can achieve a high level of safe operation,
frame signal boxes and simpler NX style panels this was predictable emergency handling and optimum service
adequate, as the geographic area covered was fairly recovery from delays. To achieve this, the rules and
limited and therefore the workload too. However, direct theory classroom based approach is now heavily
training of emergency situations and handling disruptions supplemented by an activity based / hazard recognition
in the most efficient manner was still difficult due to not method using realistic full-fidelity simulation. This can be
being able to practice these safely on the “real” railway. summarised as more of a shift to “learning by doing”
Training therefore by default was limited to learning the rather than the previous “learning by studying the rules”
theory and being tested on the rulebook and receiving that prevailed.
practical on-the-job experience – but still largely based on
control of normal traffic operation.
Tim Salter / Peter Treble
1.2 Increased Automation
In the late 1980’s the UK installed the first VDU based
Signalling Control Centre (SCC) at London’s Liverpool
Street and this technology provided a further step change
in both complexity and geographic area of control.
Coupled with the introduction of VDU based SCC’s came
Automated Route Setting where the fundamental tasks of
route setting to the timetable and overcoming routine
delays became increasingly automated. Therefore the
Signaller’s environment changed even further from the
lever frame / panel environment where every movement
was directly controlled, to one where the geographic area
has enlarged and the normal minute-by-minute tasks
increasingly automated.
Increased automation means a Signaller can frequently
be in an environment with too little to do for quite long
periods of time - but suddenly too much to do when an
emergency, delay or any other special circumstances
arise. Therefore fundamental and up-to-date knowledge
of the geographic area of control must be retained at all
times to ensure a minimal time lag when intervention
becomes necessary. With decreasing day-to-day
exposure of abnormal operation, a replica simulation of
the control method of the real railway is now considered
the only method where all emergencies and any other
abnormal events can be practiced in a safe, off-line and
accurate manner.
2 Full Fidelity Simulators
Full-fidelity Simulators across a number of industries are
classed as those that fully replicate the true environment
in order for the Trainee to be generally unaware of
whether they are in the real or simulated environment. As
previously mentioned, such is the realism achieved in the
aviation industry that simulators are used as the sole
method for pilots of conversion between aircraft types.
With regards to simulators for railway signalling, full-
fidelity versions for VDU based control centres are
generally agreed to require the following minimum
capability:
a) A model of the actual interlocking embedded with
identical system response times. This ensures when
failures are introduced, the display and response the
Trainee experiences are the exact same way as the real
control system.
b) The display screens and primary control devices
(mouse / trackerball and keyboard) the trainee uses are
exact replicas of the real ones.
c) The communication methods the Signaller would use
are duplicated, ie Cab Secure Radio, Signal Post
Telephone or GSM-R.
d) The actual working timetable for the area covered and
Automatic Route Setting (if implemented).
e) All track topology (gradients, line speeds, signal
sighting) and train performance characteristics
(acceleration / braking / traction) are used.
April 6th – 8th, 2011, Madrid,Spain
Use of Full-Fidelity Simulators For Training Signallers
f) The environment is as close to the real control centre as
possible, ie the furniture, lighting conditions etc.
g) Ability to introduce any infrastructure failures and
perturbations such as failures of track circuits, switches,
signal lamps, interlocking (whole or modules), train
failures, SPAD, non-timetabled freight train etc.
h) Ability to initiate record and playback the Trainees
performance – both actions and communications.
Provision of the above capability a) to f) ensures the
Simulator will provide a replica environment for training
purposes with the ability to run normal operations
experiencing the timetable of any day and specific time.
The further capability described in g) and h) extend the
Simulator capability beyond normal operations into a tool
for experiencing, practicing and developing responses to
emergencies and any other abnormal situation and having
an auditable record of the actions taken.
Interlocking Duplicate
Model Signaller’s
Display and
Timetable Controls
Generator and
Editor Comms
Faulting and Level Crossing
Scenario Tools Controls
Comms
Room with Trainer / Room with Signaller
Assessor / Trainee
Workstation Workstation
Figure 2: Block Diagram of Full-Fidelity Simulator
The first full-fidelity Simulators for VDU based control
centres were installed in the UK in the early 2000’s
following the publication of a key report noting the lack of
an off-line environment for the safe training and regular
assessment of Signallers. These early Simulators had the
Trainer / Assessor and Trainee located in the same room
but it was soon realised this was not an ideal environment
– particularly when the need for communications arose
between the Trainee and a third party such as a Train
Driver. With the role of the Driver played by the Trainer /
Assessor it became necessary to provide a physical
separation between the two, mainly for realism of voice
communication. However, maintaining visual observation
of the Trainee by the Trainer / Assessor is vital for proper
assessment of situation handling therefore separation of
the two by a glass wall is now the norm. This audio
separation also ensures the Trainee is unable to detect in
advance when a change in situation is about to be
introduced by the Trainer / Assessor.
Proceedings of the WCRT2011
Tim Salter / Peter Treble
Figure 3: Recently installed Simulator with left-hand picture
showing fully duplicated Trainee screens and controls and
right-hand picture showing glass wall separation of Trainee
from Trainer / Assessor.
Figure 4: Simulator showing Trainee replica main & area
overview screens
2.1 Failures and Traffic Delays
In addition to the Trainee being able to practice normal
routine operations of route setting and despatching, a vital
part of the training programme is the ability of the Trainer
/ Assessor to introduce abnormal conditions. Therefore
whilst the Trainee is presented with identical screens to
the real Control Centre, the Trainer / Assessor has a
separate user interface of the overall geographic area of
control and an extensive set of tools to introduce these
abnormalities.
Normally to start a training session the Trainer / Assessor
simply selects the timetable to run and a start time within
that day. The Trainees screens will then populate with the
trains correctly in position for the selected start time and
the interlocking states and trackside signals set. Typically,
at some time into the training session the Trainer /
Assessor will introduce a single or multiple abnormality
and this will be immediately reflected in the correct way
on the Trainee screens, including any audible alarms that
would occur. The interlocking and infrastructure will also
respond as per the real environment ensuring the Trainee
will experience the exact same control system sequences
and visual and audible conditions. Should the response to
April 6th – 8th, 2011, Madrid,Spain
Use of Full-Fidelity Simulators For Training Signallers
the introduced situation require voice communications, the
Trainee or Trainer / Assessor will initiate contact with each
other with the Trainer / Assessor playing the role of a
Train Driver, Emergency Services, Control etc. All voice
communication is automatically recorded and time
stamped for subsequent replay during the review process
at the end of the training session.
Figure 5: Trainer / Assessor user interface showing a typical
geographic layout with a number of failures introduced. For
detail of the failures see Figure 6.
Figure 6: Trainer / Assessor Message window confirming
current failures applied in session shown in Figure 5.
In addition to introducing any number of failures during a
session, the Trainer / Assessor can create a script of a
session in advance. This allows a preset number of
infrastructure failures or perturbations to be automatically
introduced at times during the session, allowing the
Trainer / Assessor to focus on observing the Trainee. It
also allows a number of trainees to be all assessed
against the same scenarios. These scripted sessions can
also be used to gradually introduce more and more
failures and perturbations to the point of creating
overload. Under the right circumstances this is highly
beneficial in a Trainee being able to recognise their own
limitations, the need to prioritise and to know when to ask
for assistance.
2.2 Recording of Session
Any training session is recorded within the Simulator for
subsequent analysis, playback and review with the
Trainee. This includes all communications that have
Proceedings of the WCRT2011
Tim Salter / Peter Treble
occurred. A simple automatic report of the Trainee
performance is carried out but this is currently limited to
an analysis of how closely the timetable was followed
during the session, aggregate minutes lost or gained and
number of routes cancelled with trains approaching, A
further analysis utility is under consideration to
automatically assess many of the Trainee’s actions during
emergencies but despite being feasible, it is currently felt
this is probably best served combined with observation
and playback with extensive review and constructive
feedback by the Trainer / Assessor.
3 Other Uses of Full-Fidelity
Simulators
Whilst the original safety and business case for full-fidelity
Simulators was the training and ongoing assessment of
Signaller’s, their accuracy has opened up a number of
other uses. This includes the testing of timetable
alterations prior to implementation, planning capacity
improvements and the optimum reduced services during
engineering works. An example recently carried out by a
TRE customer was an engineering train length was edited
to the nearest metre and “driven” to the appropriate
position for work to commence. The train was then run
within the planned area and manoeuvred to create and
check the feasibility of the possession plan.
Additional uses starting to emerge include human factors
studies around wholly new and expanded geographic
area user interfaces – for example the workload effect of
allowing a larger geographic area to be controlled on one
workstation by a single Signaller during periods of
reduced traffic. A further use is to build the Simulator at a
much earlier stage of a new signalling scheme. This will
allow the projected layout to be tested by Signallers, the
capacity tested with the proposed timetable and any
pinch-points and high-risk SPAD signals identified before
the design is committed to. A recent example of this was
the creation by TRE of a full-fidelity VDU simulation of the
Birmingham New Street area some five years ahead of
any resignalling. The simulator is currently being
extensively used to test new VDU layout features,
projected Signaller workload and assess capacity pinch-
points in advance of the design being committed.
Because of the accuracy of the simulators in containing a
fully accurate SSI model, at least one simulator has been
recently used by Engineering to confirm how the real
control system will react to a disconnection and loss of
point detection. This allowed the actual work to be
subsequently carried out without any surprises for the
operator or safety implications.
4 NJSK and Future Training
Developments
TRE have recently been involved as a key supplier and
partner in a project with NJSK in Norway whereby a new
and radical approach has been taken to rail training. In
building a new Training Centre, NJSK decided to create a
total training environment whereby a number of Train
Driver and Signalling simulators are linked as one
integrated system. The geographic area covered is
April 6th – 8th, 2011, Madrid,Spain
Use of Full-Fidelity Simulators For Training Signallers
Eidsvoll to Drammen in the Oslo area and includes the
high-speed Oslo Central Station airport express link to
Gardermoen.
The scale of the integrated training system covers six
Train Driver cab simulators supplied by Sydac and up to
seven traffic control Signaller Workstations simulating
both EBICOS and VICOS control technology. Therefore a
full training session can be established involving multiple
Signallers and Train Drivers in a fully representative off-
line environment, although each can be run individually.
Whilst all the usual objectives of using simulators for
training mentioned in this paper clearly apply, some key
additional benefits are gained by linking the Train Driver
and Signaller environments. These include encouraging
both functions to appreciate and understand each other’s
role in many situations. Ensuring this appreciation
between roles is particularly critical for ensuring the
maximum safety during emergencies or infrastructure
failure or adverse weather conditions where the Signaller
and Train Driver must function as a team for the duration.
The integration of the training environment for Signaller
and Driver is also highly beneficial when any new working
arrangements, layout changes are introduced. And
particularly when new technology is introduced with
procedural changes affecting both roles, ie, ERTMS traffic
control and GSM-R communications.
It is of course technically possible to link Train Driver and
Signaller simulators together that are not located in the
same building or town and the possibility of doing this is
being investigated by one UK geographic area. This will
provide the benefits of providing an integrated training
environment when required where the simulators are
already installed at different locations and / or owned by
different organisations.
Details of Authors
Tim Salter is a Director of The Railway Engineering
Company and prior to joining the company was employed
by the parent company, Strainstall Group. Originally from
an aerospace flight test and then power generation
systems background, his railway signalling experience
encompasses event monitoring of relay and SSI
interlockings and condition monitoring of switches.
Peter Treble is a qualified Signaller and prior to joining
The Railway Engineering Company was employed by
Network Rail in the UK. In the latter part of his time at
Network Rail he was the Signalling Trainer in one of the
key territories and used a variety of Simulators including
those covering lever frames, NX Panel and VDU based
control centres.
Acknowledgements
Figure 1 from “Pictorial Record of GW Signalling” by
Adrian Vaughan, OPC Press
EBICOS is a trade name of Bombardier Transportation
VICOS is a trade name of Siemens Transportation
Proceedings of the WCRT2011