Development of a railway safety research simulator

In response to a series of high profile incidents in the rail industry, Railway Safety has directed a significant portion of its research budget into human factors themes. To complement this research, we have identified the need for a driving cab simulator primarily for research in human factors and operations. This paper provides the justification for a cab simulator in terms of the advantages for the Railway Safety research programme. This is followed by a detailed review of current driver training simulators in the industry, highlighting the differing requirements of a research simulator as opposed to a training aid. Finally, a functional specification for an 'ideal' research simulator is derived. The paper concludes with an outline of the future development programme for the Railway Safety research simulator.