LRT-2 Acquires PH’s First Train Simulator

The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) acquired a state-of-the-art Train Driving Simulator (TDS), the first of its kind in the country, to ensure that a pioneering type of training will be provided to existing and forthcoming train operators for the LRT Line 2 System.

LRTA Administrator Gen. Reynaldo Berroya unveiled the simulator on Wednesday, May 16, 2018, at LRT-2’s Recto station in the presence of LRTA officials.

Berroya said the acquisition of a simulator is a considerable step taken towards risk control and accident reduction during revenue operations, as part of LRTA’s commitment of delivering world-class service for the passengers.

The new simulator virtually reproduced the entire topography of LRT-2 including the line signaling, the passenger stations, as well as the landscape of Metro Manila — bringing simulator users into a virtual world that imitates the real image of the elevated line system.

The said equipment is manufactured by LANDER Simulations and Training Solutions of Spain and delivered to the country by Kempal Construction and Supply Corporation.

“Our Philippine Railway Training Center (PRTC) has always been on the lookout for an innovative way to conduct trainings to strengthen LRTA’s goal to be the center in professionalizing the railway industry in the country. We see the use of the simulator as a safe and cost-effective means of teaching train driving, so we strived to acquire it,” Berroya said.

The simulator allows users to have a driver’s view from the train cab and to operate realistic cab controls such as doors, pneumatics, electricals, and signaling systems among others. It also allows training of train operations, both in normal and degraded conditions, including situations deemed not possible in actual train operations.

With the simulator system, train operators may also acquire necessary skills to react properly and quickly in any potential situation in the real operations.

Incorporated into the system are twenty-five (25) most frequent fault occurrences encountered during actual revenue operations, so train operators could experience and be refreshed of the correct intervention and troubleshooting practices, but in a virtual, safe, and controlled environment.

Furthermore, the said equipment is capable of generating reports on the performance of train operators under evaluation or undergoing refresher courses.

“With the unveiling of this state-of-the-art training system, we have taken the training standard into a higher level and we will continue to look for ways to improve standards and to achieve customer satisfaction,” Berroya added. (LRTA/PIA-NCR)