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World's Most Realistic Train Simulator Leads Rail Industry to Better Training and Safety ORLANDO, Fla. --(Business Wire)-- May 24, 2004 -- Leading U.K. Train Operating Company Invests in Training Systems Built on Bentley SoftwareBentley Systems, Incorporated, today announced that First Great Western, a leading U.K. train operating company, has unveiled the world's most advanced and realistic train simulator. As a commitment to rail safety, First Great Western is investing in three train simulators based on Bentley software. "First Great Western is leading the way in driver training and assessment for the U.K. rail industry--honing the skills of drivers and delivering an even safer railway," said Ted Stephens, Bentley's rail project director. "Over the next couple of years, this approach will become the norm for the industry." "Bentley's rail expertise has proven invaluable," said Alison Forster, managing director of First Great Western. "This is an exciting development in the way we train our drivers, and will increase their knowledge and awareness. We already have robust training for all of our drivers, and the simulators will support that as well as providing additional training for other staff such as train managers." Built on Bentley technology for rail, the simulator puts drivers into a virtual environment representing real-world rail infrastructure and terrain. The faithful replica of a train cab looks and feels like the real thing, even surrounding drivers with the sounds and physical sensations of a train in motion. Looking through the simulator windows, drivers see video images generated from a detailed, accurate 3D model developed by Bentley from railway design data. Every control, indicator, and safety warning system of a real train is reproduced in the simulator, which can recreate weather hazards, infrastructure problems, mechanical failures, and hundreds of other training scenarios. The simulators also allow instructors to create new scenarios. "The high-quality simulation of both the train cab and the railway environment ensures that the driver is fully immersed in the driving of the train," Stephens said. "This creates a truly believable and safe environment in which to practice and refine train driving skills." The virtual world in which this simulator travels includes 500 miles of track and 700 signals, set in terrain of the type found between London and southwest England. Bentley Professional Services staff in Horsham, U.K., developed a digital model of the rail infrastructure using the latest 3D modeling, visualization, and database technologies. U.K.-based simulation technology firms Primary Image and EDM were responsible for construction, instrumentation, and image generation systems. The simulator delivers a true-to-life experience by merging the railway's civil, structural, and electrical engineering design data in an accurate virtual model. Rail companies can also use the simulator to test railway designs and improvements before beginning construction, and as a learning tool for drivers to familiarize themselves with new construction. These innovative practices can reduce costly construction change orders, and shorten the time from construction to commercial use. "The rail industry as a whole benefits when design data is reused through construction, operations, and maintenance, and back to analysis and planning. Data is an asset in its own right, enabling infrastructure construction and renewal to happen more quickly, more economically--and most importantly, providing the information for safe operation," Stephens said. "We believe this simulator is the beginning of something quite significant for the rail industry," said Gabe Norona, senior vice president of Bentley Civil. "Given the importance of rail safety, the straightforward implementation with Bentley software, and the realistic experience, we see train simulators becoming widely used in the U.K. and continental Europe, and being adopted in the U.S. and Asia as well. "We expect that these train simulators will become as essential to rail as flight simulators are to aviation," Norona said. About First Great Western A leading U.K. train operating company, First Great Western provides more than 20 million passenger journeys per year on nearly 200 high-speed train services across the South West of England, South Wales, Bristol, the Cotswolds, and to London Paddington station daily. The company is part of First, the U.K-based international public transport provider. About Bentley Bentley Systems, Incorporated, provides software for the lifecycle of the world's infrastructure. The company's comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial vertical markets spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2003 revenues reaching $260 million, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Design 500 and major owner-operators. To receive Bentley press releases as they are issued, visit www.bentley.com/bentleywire. For more information, visit www.bentley.com. Bentley, the "B" logo, and BE are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or Bentley Software, Inc. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. |
