Crewe Basford Hall & Independent Lines Driver Route Learning Package
The team at True North Rail using their Truesight™ platform worked in conjunction with Freightliner, Network Rail & Pennant in order to produce virtual reality (VR) training videos of a train drivers journey via various Crewe driving routes. The creation of our Truesight™ VR videos & 3D training animations were then used for virtual route driver training courses enabling train drivers to rapidly learn their driving routes.
TrueSight™ PROJECT
Overview
The Crewe Independent Lines play a critical role in managing freight traffic around Crewe, avoiding the need for freight trains to pass through the station itself. The layout of Crewe is an intricate hub in the UK rail network, where multiple lines converge. These Independent Lines, running through a deep cutting west of Crewe station, help divert freight traffic away from passenger services, easing congestion at this major junction. These lines are vital for freight moving between destinations like Manchester, Liverpool, and the Midlands.
Crewe West Coast Main Line
Historically, Crewe has been pivotal on the West Coast Main Line, serving as the last major junction before key destinations like Liverpool, Manchester, North Wales, and Scotland. Its importance dates back to its opening in 1837, originally designed to connect several key routes and canal systems. Over the years, Crewe became even more significant as new lines were added, including connections to Stoke-on-Trent, Derby, Shrewsbury, and beyond.
Our Role
At True North Rail we have developed route creation tools which quickly create event sequences for specific driver routes. Brilliant for driver route learning, as well as easy fly-through creation for stakeholder engagement.
These tools enable us to create sequential events such as speed changes and signal aspect changes and activate which crossovers to take. These routes were then exported and shared with the wider project team, who were able to play, review & provide feedback progressively.
MVP Approach
For an MVP approach in the complex Sorting Sidings North area for which the majority of changes were 'like for like', Pennant provided animated versions of the Map Book combined with screen shots from the Truesight™ environment.
Utilising our Truesight™ tools, we were able to quickly create animations, implement updates, and seamlessly issue them to the relevant teams for review. Our technology significantly supported team collaboration, enabling rapid updates and efficient turnarounds.
Leveraging TrueSight™
The core technology driving this success was Unreal Engine. Crewe Sorting Sidings and the Independent Lines are exceptionally complex pieces of railway infrastructure. Initially, there were concerns about the feasibility of a virtual solution, but Unreal Engine's capabilities, combined with our commitment to delivering high-quality results, allowed us to create an incredibly realistic environment. This was demonstrated by the Freight Operator's request to use the simulation for training their shunting staff.
Project Success
This project, one of the most intricate and challenging Driver Route Learning initiatives we have undertaken, was successfully delivered on time. The achievement was made possible through the collaboration and support of all involved parties. There's also a great article been written by Paul Darlington CEng, FIET, FIRSE of Rail Engineer on this subject https://www.railengineer.co.uk/crewe-basford-hall-and-independent-lines-resignalling/
TESTIMONIALS
