Replacing Chile’s Aging Railway System

Boasting a ridership of just over 50 million people per year, Chile’s railways have fallen into disrepair, making travel cumbersome and dangerous.” The country ranked 70th out of 103 for quality of railroad infrastructure in the 2019 World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, and reached the 61st place for the efficiency of train services. These results may seem positive if compared to the likes of Argentina and Brazil, but in the broader picture, they position Chile far behind major rail markets like Japan and Germany.”

The country’s Chile on Rails project seeks to change that.

Chile has $5bn set aside for repair and laying new track, as well as doubling cargo volumes in an effort to enhance not only its safety and volume capacity, but also its global competitiveness. Complementing the safety portion, Chile would do well to build in its training protocols in tandem by bringing key players up to speed on new railroad technology as quickly as possible to meet planned efficiency goals!

Renovating High Speed Lines in Spain with Automation

Thales Spain will be working with the Madrid-Seville and Córdoba-Málaga high-speed lines to maintain and renovate their traffic control facilities. There will be changes made to signaling components, fallen object detectors, hot boxes and lateral wind detectors.

Probably most interesting upgrades is Thales’ commitment to predictive maintenance. And they’ll be integrating on-board control systems on 43 automated trains to make this a reality, along with renovations to buildings and technical rooms. “Thales will carry out predictive maintenance of the facilities by monitoring existing operations to optimize high-speed railway services.”

Thales Spain is continuing to update their railways, with high-speed trains as their focus. This is a great opportunity for Thales and Spain to kick off amazing innovation!

Be sure to check out our Rail Virtual Training Solutions to see why BNSF, CSX, Amtrak, NS, UP, CN & KCS partner with Heartwood to deploy a variety of railroad training simulations and guides. And if you have any questions about these technologies, please reach out!

Image Credit 1
Image Credit 2

The post Rail Tech Talk – Safety First for Updated & Automated Railways appeared first on Heartwood.

The term ‘harmonic rocking’ has a ring to it for those not in the railroad industry, but to those in the know, it’s a nightmare scenario that could end up in a derailment. When harmonic rocking — a rocking from side to side — occurs to a car or a train, something is very wrong. But by the time it hits noticeable levels, it’s often too late to do anything meaningful about it. Catching it before it ever reaches that point is something that simulation training can facilitate.

Let’s see how that looks!

Heading Off Derailments

Harmonic rocking is one of the major causes of derailments. And it’s also one of the many railway dangers that simulation-augmented training can help significantly reduce, if not prevent entirely — potentially saving lives and certainly enhancing a railroad’s safety profile.

When harmonic rocking begins, it’s hard to stop, particularly as a car or train is moving at a pretty decent speed when this trouble makes itself known. When a train is moving at speeds of approximately 14-22 mph, harmonic rocking that was not discernible before can now be dangerously obvious to the naked eye. And it can culminate in a car flipping out of the train, which is no small matter. This is why it’s something to identify before the rocking becomes obvious – and dangerous.

So, how does one head it off? There are two main causes of harmonic rocking: a problem with the track or a problem with the car. We’ll explore each in turn.

Track Problems Causing Harmonic Rocking

Track conditions can feel like a railroad’s wild card, and if the entire train is rocking, the track is the likely culprit. Trains require a level, smooth ride to travel along without issue – and conductors must know ahead of time if there’s a patch of track that’s questionable and requires a slow order or slower speeds. All it takes is a quarter-inch discrepancy to send an heavily loaded or unbalanced train or car rocking.

Then there can also be broken bolts or spikes missing from tie plates. And although some wear and tear is usually easy to determine, worn track can be challenging to spot, which is where Sperry Geometry Cars come in.

Problems with the car or “freight car truck” require a human eye to capture, however. This isn’t an impossible task, of course – but there is much to be aware and keep track of. It requires an eye for detail with thorough awareness and knowledge. And a practiced eye is always best.

Train Car Problems Causing Harmonic Rocking

Beyond potentially being improperly loaded with cargo, the problem causing harmonic rocking may originate in the truck itself. There could be a problem with side frame being worn, and there’s also the bolster, axels, and side bearing rollers and blocks to consider.

For example, the roller type side bearing wedge (single or double, depending on truck tonnage) can be no more than ¾ inch apart on one end of the truck. The same goes for the left, right and diagonal measures. If the distance is greater, then it needs to be reduced to ensure there is constant contact. When properly positioned in place, movement is greatly reduced. This is an important control developed to help stabilize the truck.

The constant contact side bearing is important to watch closely for wear as well. It was developed in the middle 80’s and were designed to help stop harmonic rocking. When the body side bearing wedge is worn, inspecting the body side bearing from the end of the car (which is commonly done) can be misleading. But looking over the whole body side bearing, the worn area is quickly spotted by a trained eye – even down to a 1/8 inch discrepancy.

Another possible cause is weak, damaged, or broken springs in the spring nest underneath the bolsters. If this is the case, then a truck won’t have the correct weight available to alleviate side pressures.

Both scenarios (bearings and springs issues) should be found during the pre-departure inspection, but lots of times these things will be missed as they aren’t immediately apparent – and with a long checklist to complete, these are pretty easy to gloss over or forget. Compounding the matter, there are more than 500 different types of cars to consider and freight cars can be up to 50 years old and still running. That’s a good bit of variety and wear and tear to consider as well!

Discovering and defining each ahead of time (track and truck problems) is entirely possible with simulation training, as Heartwoods’ recent work with BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Kansas City Southern, and others bears out. On-time identification is enhanced significantly, becoming second nature when workers have access to practice scenarios anytime and anywhere as a refresher.

Simulation Training for On-time Identification

Each track inspector is assigned a certain number of miles of track to inspect, with inspections happening at regular intervals, depending on the type of track. If it’s a main line track for example, it’s once every day. And every conductor has a detailed pre-departure checklist to inspect their freight train cars at least once every 1,000 miles or every 1,500 miles on extended haul trains.

With simulation-augmented training, railroad workers can clearly visualize and work through the emergency situations that result when damage is missed. And they can practice consistently identifying them to head off emergencies until these safety checks become second nature, exploring the inner workings of the track and cars to see what happens when bolster damage is overlooked, for example – as well as the bearing wedge and spring nest issues.

When a simulated pre-departure checklist is in place, many of the trouble spots leading to harmonic rocking would be identified – and that identification would continue to improve over time.

Using the sim we’ve developed for our railroad partners, employees are able to:

• Identify & measure defective rail car components
• Inspect wheels/trucks for defects
• Determine if equipment is securely coupled and if hand brakes are applied or released
• Identify safety hazards on rail cars
• Complete a Pre-Departure Inspection (CFR 215)

Watch the simulation in action here:

Heartwood’s Pre-Departure Inspection (CFR215,238) virtual interactive sim demo

The simulation allows the railroad to consistently train workers, evaluate dangerous knowledge gaps, and provide additional training to head off these emergencies at the pass. This ability to practice dangerous scenarios that would not be experienced otherwise and to see inside the train and have an in-depth understanding that’s usually reserved for mechanics provides trainees a unique, hands-on experience that cannot be achieved through other means. And simulation training is easily scalable and universally accessible, further allowing the important ‘practice makes perfect’ capability!

Heartwood is always working on new railroad simulations, including track inspection offerings – and they’re all in varying stages of development. Our goal is to offer railroads the very latest technology to keep their workers and cargo safe, and we’d love to show you how that looks. Feel free to email or call to learn more!

These are situations that regular classroom training cannot prepare workers for, and railroads including BNSF, Union Pacific, Amtrak, CSX, CN, Norfolk Southern, KCS, and others have recognized simulation training as essential to encouraging enhanced, long-term safety.

If you’d like to learn more, reach out to Heartwood directly.

The post Heading Off Harmonic Rocking appeared first on Heartwood.

Hitachi Rail Enhances Performance with Digital Acquisition

Expanding its digital capabilities was always in the plan for Hitachi Rail, as using its AI and IoT-powered Lumada platform to its full potential and “turn[ing] data into actionable business insights” was the next logical step in the company’s evolution. This acquisition of tech firm, Perpetuum, fit the bill perfectly.

“Perpetuum’s self-powered wireless sensors detect on-board vibrations and send back real-time data about the performance of critical train parts, operating on a continuous basis while trains are running. This allows the ‘Health Status’ of the components to be calculated, identifying potential issues to be fixed before they delay passengers’ journeys. None of the more than 3000 coaches fitted with the application have ever had critical components fail in service.”

Hitachi plans to expand the technology to other parts of the train, potentially monitoring its signalling equipment, tracks and railway structures. And envisions the technology as playing a role in both its digital and sustainability offerings.

Real-time Yard Management Simulation Platform 

Piloted last year, the INet Gateway is a real-time yard management platform that “is designed to smooth everyday logistics and data collection tasks including inventory management, shunting, inspections, wagon repair photos, security seal tracking and usage analytics reviews.”

The key difference between it and traditional, generic views of a railyard and its inventory hinges on that real-time component, as it helps operations “automate and better manage their facilities,” to “maximise their efficiency and cost savings.”

With it, operations can “manage inventory, quickly create switch lists, reference inspections and photos, and access information specific to any one railcar.” And we’re guessing other railways and repair shops will soon follow suit!

Be sure to check out our Rail Virtual Training Solutions to see why BNSF, CSX, Amtrak, NS, UP, CN & KCS partner with Heartwood to deploy a variety of railroad training simulations and guides. And if you have any questions about these technologies, please reach out!

Image Credit 1
Image Credit 2

The post Rail Tech Talk – Real-time Monitoring Capabilities Continue to Expand Worldwide appeared first on Heartwood.

German Railway Simulator Games Transitioning to Training

Gaming has become a way of life for many, with the bar for creating realistic gameplay reaching incredible heights. To keep up with this insatiable demand, as designers strive for maximum visual impact, verisimilitude has become the new standard. And this desire, combined with input from industry experts, has resulted professional-level outputs that realistically mirror real-world environments. So much so that they’ve attracted the attention of professional organizations.

For example, “the painstaking technical detail packed into Zusi 3 has made it particularly interesting to the German rail industry as a simulated training program for drivers.” It makes sense, as “the game incorporates driving physics that account for the train’s tilt, air and curve resistance, detailed simulations of in-cab Sifa safety systems, as well as accurate recreations of European and German signalling and train protection systems.”

As such, they logically created a “professional version of the game [that] allows supervisors to manipulate the simulation for training purposes,” with the ability to recreate various scenarios that are key to safe operation of its trains. And this professional version of the game is used by several dozen transport groups and technical schools in Germany. It gives drivers experience in situations they “might never see it in real life even in ten years” and would otherwise have correspondingly little meaningful training.

The game is so good, it’s intimidating to newer sim gamers, but the developer seems to have uncovered a new niche audience with training!

Indian Railways Adopts Advanced Simulators for Training

Recognizing the role of its pilots and assistant pilots as frontline workers who play a crucial role in operations and safety, Indian Railways is equipping all divisions with advanced 3D technology-enabled simulators for training. These digital crew simulation systems are expected to improve alertness and enhance safety amongst its approximately 86,000 train drivers in the Railways.

The goal is to “provide training in a real-life environment and expose trainees to unusual occurrences.” And “increased hours spent on simulator-based training improves the skill of the crew in train management, handling and brake management — and dealing with unusual and unsafe events.”

A senior Railway Ministry official said they plan covers that and more, including aspects like “train dynamics and handling, dealing with unusual and hazardous events, route learning, economical fuel-efficient driving and safe operations.” So, not only will operations run more smoothly, and practices become increasingly safer, but the Railway will also see a reduction in energy bills. And by deploying this training to every division, drivers can complete trainings where they are, removing traveling hurdles from the planning equation.

Simulation trainings for railways are proving their value worldwide. It’s an exciting time to be in the space!

Be sure to check out our Rail Virtual Training Solutions to see why BNSF, CSX, Amtrak, NS, UP, CN & KCS partner with Heartwood to deploy a variety of railroad training simulations and guides. And if you have any questions about these technologies, please reach out!

Image Credit 1
Image Credit 2

The post Rail Tech Talk – Rail Simulation Training in Germany & India appeared first on Heartwood.

As it has with everything else in the world, COVID-19 has impacted railroading in a variety of ways—and staffing is one of them. Here are five takeaways from this past year, around what to expect and potential ways to alleviate the impact of each.

1. Staffing Efficiencies Closely Tied to Safety and Resiliency
Prior to Covid, railroads sought to shed assets and reduce workforce size to increase shareholder return and decrease operating ratios. Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR)’s aggressive approach to staff reduction often focused on groups or crafts with limited innovation.

Staffing efficiencies quickly became more than a cost initiative, as staffing ties directly into safety. And in light of COVID, safety has expanded to include a focus on resiliency, as a tighter headcount requires a more proactive approach to keep trains running on schedule.

For example, eliminating inefficient train miles by eliminating stops, closing terminals and other actions has helped reduce headcount significantly, but this means our lean, mean train and engine workforce team are more valuable than ever. And also more susceptible to risk than ever.

With at least two workers (conductor and engineer) occupying the same space (locomotive cab) for 8 to 12 hours, and oftentimes with a different person every day, one trip with an infected co-worker can lead to the rapid erosion of workforce availability, delaying trains and terminal operations significantly. As railroads move to increasingly autonomous operations, requiring fewer personnel onboard, having in-depth and interactive training materials on-hand at all times – both for review and practice – will be critical. Workers will require more than a basic understanding of adjacent crafts, and that expertise should be immediately accessible for reference regardless. With safety as the industry’s top priority, it just makes sense.

2. Adopting Digitization to Keep Workers Safe and Evolve
Railroads must quickly get up to speed with available technologies – and they need to stay ahead of the curve moving forward. Adding to the potential for infection, the same train crews detailed above often have to report to a physical building with others to get required paperwork, and instructions from operational personnel to complete their duties.

At its worst, each crew member gets a paper copy (often several pages) of the train consist and other instructions. Technology allows operations to push this information to each member electronically, eliminating the need to physically “report” to a building. This greatly decreases chances for infection.

Also, many railroad terminals have several structures that exist for this purpose alone – to house operations that could be managed remotely. Digitizing these processes eliminates maintenance costs and frees real estate for other purposes.

“Our training requirements could not be sustained due to COVID restrictions,” says Michael Urena, Manager, Transportation Training, Training and Development, CN. “We had to look at our methodology of rules instruction in a different way, so that we could continue to provide our employees with the training they need to operate and work safely. By digitizing our training programs through remote learning, we were able to fulfill our training requirements and provide our employees with safety instruction they need.”

3. Emerging Sustainability Expectations
As the call for sustainability grows, impacts will be assessed by every industry. We know railroads are the most environmentally friendly transportation solution, as they reduce emissions by taking trucks off of highways. But, as mentioned, when detailing how to lessen the spread of disease with technology—sustainability efforts would benefit as well.

When it comes to the paper trail that railroads create, they’re lagging far behind other industries. It’s at least a 50 page per trip process to get from point A to point B, and that is entirely unacceptable.

Digitization needs to happen very soon, and on a large scale or railroads will find themselves up against hard deadlines that leave them few choices to consider.

4. Hiring and Furloughing Practices Require Rethinking
Historically, railroads have carried headcount that can be quickly shed on a seasonal basis to correspond with traffic declines, offering steady employment nine months out of the year. Workers often embraced this as regular business and saved money for the time away, knowing that once volume increased, they’d be called back to work in most cases.

With the financial collapse of 2008 and a change in generations, rail workers stopped relying on the work and returned in smaller numbers. They craved stability, and they realized they have options. This change resulted in a hiring process that has become wasteful and unsustainable. Those hired know they will be furloughed, and many of them won’t return. This results in a hiring and training of new personnel with every shift in volume and traffic. Beyond not being sustainable, it’s not the best for safety either. Creating a workforce with longevity should be the goal. And creating ways to keep them engaged and always learning is the conduit for this commitment.

Dan Bostek, Director of Operations Practices and Special Projects at Norfolk Southern, says, “The use of remote simulation monitoring and training was a novel idea to many in the rail industry in 2020. However, the need for social distancing as a result of COVID-19 necessitated the expanded use of remote simulation monitoring and training. This accelerated acceptance and proved the value of this technology.”

When workers are continuously learning and increasing their value in their craft as an industry expert, they both appreciate their work and feel appreciated by the railroad. And by practicing challenging or emergency scenarios regularly, overall safety and productivity correspondingly increase. As Bostek mentions above, digital, virtual simulations can make this practice possible anytime, anywhere and at a pace that meets each worker where they are.

5. Eliminating Assets Requires Precision Maintenance
And connecting back to the first item, precision scheduling also means railroads are left with precision maintenance. This isn’t a bad thing, but it’s a necessary consideration. PSR touts itself on reducing assets such as track, cars and locomotives, but little is discussed about maintaining the assets that remain.

The railroads’ focus on safety has resulted in one the safest industries in the transportation sector, and now they must apply this same vigor to maintenance training and processes, because there is no excess to get it wrong. Rail workers are in an environment where troubles and delays are often brand new, as they’ve probably forgotten how to do key maintenance tasks due to lack of practice.

Having an immediately accessible and mobile approach to these maintenance tasks for refresher trainers at set intervals will be crucial. The generational knowledge that was passed down previously is fast-disappearing, and workers will not have that same 1:1 contact with “old hands” regardless, so having institutional knowledge stored and readily available in digital format is the way of the future.

As freight volume picks up in the second half of 2021 and beyond, concerns about meeting demand are rising, and training new or re-hires in a timely, efficient and safe manner will be critical.

View our Catalog of Rail Training Solutions available for your team to deploy today.

This article first appeared in the Railway Age Publication. 

The post Five Takeaways From COVID-19’s Impact on Railroad Staffing appeared first on Heartwood.

Locomotive engineers have been qualified and trained with simulation technology for years. Through technology, the opportunity to leverage simulation beyond locomotive engineers is quickly emerging. Heartwood led the charge by developing virtual simulations to certify Transportation and Mechanical employees in conducting 49 CFR Part 243 tasks at Norfolk Southern (and subsequently BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, Amtrak, CN and KCS) and obtained a Federal Railroad Administration simulation training waiver to meet the regulatory requirements. With simulation technology, regulatory and maintenance training can be at employee fingertips.

Can railroads train, qualify and improve their workforce with simulation tools?

Hear FRA Staff Director, Railroad Safety Partnerships Rob Castiglione, Heartwood Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer Neil Wadhawan and Training & Sim Evangelist Brian Keller discuss this emerging technology with Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono below:

Here are some highlights from the speakers.

Rob Castiglione:
“There is a tremendous opportunity as this simulation technology continues to evolve.
I was onboard with this technology since 2012. It was a win-win for everyone involved and is embraced by the target audience. This stuff sells itself, to be honest by how much clarity and detail put into it. There are some learning curves, as with everything new.
I am excited about it, there is no doubt about that. It has huge upsides, you can go through the steps, with less risks, and see what you cant ordinarily see or stage, which makes for a nice platform to engage workers and learning transfer happens naturally. This is true for both green or brand new employees and refresher training, not just for FRA but internal requirements as well.

The detail associated with the components and the interactions you can participate in – great pains have been made to make it as realistic as possible – and it shows!”

Brian Keller:
“Training groups typically operate daylight monday to friday – but the availability of having this software 24/7 is a game changer. This material is available round the clock and its accurate. If I need a certain kind of control valve or brake system, it can be replicated in the app. I don’t always have that, when I am field or training officer to demonstrate and show an individual that. Also I haven’t had the ability to consistently have every person work through skills and measure/record that. With simulation, we won’t be waiting on equipment to train on it. Anything new or rare can be trained before it ever shows up. I can bring in equipment into a facility via simulation that they wouldn’t get to practice on. It evaluates the person and gives immediate consistent feedback. The app observes what WE DID not what the instructor observing us THOUGHT we did.

A good example is a conductor that works road service for 2-3 months straight and all the brake tests have been done for him by the mechanical dept. Now he is switched to a yard or local assignment and he personally hasn’t done a Class 1 brake test in the last 90 days. The opportunity to refresh hasn’t existed beyond conversation or printed documents earlier, so now before he puts himself at risk walking along the track, he has reviewed what he needs to look at, what’s a defect and what’s not – in an interactive experience.

These are major wins that the simulation and virtual training application gives us that we didn’t get by going out to the physical equipment. It provides a risk free injury free environment to practice that skill while augmenting the time spent on the physical equipment, which is also essential.”

Neil Wadhawan:
“We are designing these training apps easy to use just like the apps your employees would use otherwise. You can have an instructor in the classrooms, but now you can also have an instructor at the tip of your hands! They can practice without penalty, in a safer environment translating to less errors finally in the field. It is refreshing to see almost all class 1 railroads getting behind this!”

Thanks for listening!

View our Catalog of Rail Training Solutions available for your team to deploy today.

The post RAIL GROUP ON AIR podcast – Part 243 Virtual Training with the FRA & Heartwood appeared first on Heartwood.

Derailment Dangers Always Present

Derailments are every railroaders’ nightmare, and preventing them is the foundation of every training and safety measure that railway workers are required to take. How often do derailments happen? In 2020 and so far in 2021, we haven’t seen many, but there’s also lots less traffic right now.

Gathering data from 2013, we can see that FRA Reportable derailments consistently number in the 650 to 1,100 range:

source: https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/publicsite/query/inctally3.aspx

And although a reduction in derailments for 2020 is amazing, it’s much less so when viewed in light of a pandemic that dropped railway traffic by 27% at its peak in 2020.

So, what causes these derailments? A variety of factors, including defects and rail conditions, , we know one thing about all of them: human error is typically the root cause. Saying as much oversimplifies a complicated series of actions though (many based on technical skills) – each of which offer lessons for preventing future catastrophes.

Simulating Human Error
How can simulation training prevent, or least greatly reduce, human error? By itself, it doesn’t. But with repeated application, it significantly enhances successful outcomes in a variety of ways. And that’s the key differentiator here: simulation training is available anytime, anywhere for repeated practice, check-ins and refreshers. And implementing that capability industry-wide will make these ‘human error items’ top-of-mind, potentially eliminating – and certainly lessening them.

We’ll demonstrate it using a couple of common errors as examples.

Inattentive Craft Employees, Due to Overconfidence
This particular challenge takes many forms. The first being overconfidence. In railroading, over-confidence is deadly. Craft employees that assume it’s a typical day and everything is fine can miss important indicators that their experience would have caught had they been laser-focused and in-the-moment. Simulation training can bring that overconfidence in line with reality.

For example, feeling a flat spot or riding over a broken rail. Should an employee miss how it feels when this happens? Certainly not – each creates a distinct sensation. But yet, they do miss it. How? It requires missing the flat spot during the pre-departure inspection, for starters – and then riding along assured that all is well.

Simulation training would drive home what the end result looks like when a flat spot is missed. It would simulate the severity of these mistakes, driving home how derailments happen ahead of having to experience one to understand.

Operating Switches
Another inattentive craft employee scenario applies to any individual operating a switch. If a switch hasn’t been pulled all the way and locked properly, it creates a floating switch. Avoiding this should be a simple thing, but it happens. And again – overconfidence is to blame. And this could result in one part of car going down track one and the other down track two.

Simulation training would demonstrate how easy this is to miss; ways to make sure it’s truly locked in place and the life or death situations created when incompletely applied.

A scenario that is equally deadly and fairly common – but shouldn’t be is…

Cutout Cock & Retaining Valve Confusion
On freight equipment, a cutout cock is used to open or close air lines or to cut-in or cut-out air operated devices. When the handle is crosswise to the brake pipe, the cut-out cock is open. When the handle is in-line with the brake or other air lines, the cut-out cock is closed. This should be a simple thing to manage, but there’s a lot to keep track of on a train and having numerous “simple things” results in wrong choices. Or, in this case, misidentification for another simple thing!

The Retaining Valve is often mistaken for a cutout cock. The Retaining Valve is a manually operated valve, found on all freight and some passenger cars, which controls the exhaust of brake cylinder pressure. And when an employee mistakes one for the other, this causes two different, and quite substantial problems.

• Closing the cutout cock instead of the Retaining Valve unknowingly cuts out air to the whole car. So, the train is moving along with no idea that the air is cut off. Good luck stopping.
• And applying the Retaining Valve instead of the cutout cock results in burnt up wheels – and when you break a wheel or crack it, derailments happen.

Capturing the Correct Expertise in a Training
The key here, of course, is ensuring that mechanical expertise is taught by mechanical experts; carmen teach other carmen and so on. This is not always the case in a training environment and it can prove deadly.

For example, if someone trained in the rudimentary functions of a craft, but no real experience working in the craft is teaching workers about it, they’ll probably do a decent job. It’s all related and they have some solid understanding of the function.

But because they have gaps in their knowledge, as they aren’t doing this as part of their day-to-day work, they can’t teach what they don’t know. They likely won’t know the sound or feel a mechanic is really looking for when examining something – and why.

Those working in that specific craft have developed a very attuned understanding of it and can offer tips that those who are not actively working in that craft on a consistent basis just simply do not possess.

With simulation training, railroads can capture that very specific expertise from those leading your mechanical (carmen), transportation (conductor and engineers), and engineering (Maintenance of Way, B&B, C&S) crafts. New hires and cross-training needs can be met in a way that offers the absolute best intel – virtual scenarios that train for in-the-moment life and death decision-making. It also helps create automatic reaction-time when faced with emergency scenarios in real life.

These are things regular classroom training cannot prepare workers for, and these are things railroads like BNSF, Union Pacific, Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern, KCS, and others are recognizing as essential to encouraging enhanced, long-term safety. We provide a a variety of hazard-prevention training modules, and would love to share that knowledge with you.
Please reach out here.

The post Preventing Derailments with Simulation Training appeared first on Heartwood.

Technology acceleration has touched every industry this past year, the rail industry among them. But this isn’t bad news, as the variety of technologies available are creating more efficient, safer operations, with additional advancements on the horizon, which we’ll touch on below.

The technological shift in the industry has been significant. As Travis Herod, SVP Environmental Health & Safety, Watco puts it, we’re in the midst of an incredible transition:

“I believe we’re in the middle of the third major industrial revolution. We saw major changes in how the world did business when steam power industrialized nations, and again, as the electrical revolution changed the landscape. I believe technology integration will prove to have a similar, significant impact on industry as we learn to leverage and harness the power of emerging technology. And just like the first two revolutions, there will be challenges along with opportunity, we need to be courageous enough to embrace the changes, while ensuring we deploy new technology safely and thoughtfully.”

And these challenges are certainly front and center as we head into year two of the pandemic. Fortunately, railroads were already off and running with advanced technologies before COVID hit, and that was a good place to be when industries all around us slowed to a crawl. Although impacted along with the rest of the world, railroads were already shifting toward automation and precision scheduled railroading (PSR) in the years prior. Change was still necessary, but it meant picking up the pace more than anything, as demonstrated by:

• Positive Train Control (PTC)
• Autonomous inspection technologies
• AI-powered monitoring technologies
• Virtual Simulated Training

Positive Train Control is a fully implemented functionality that was designed to prevent human error – and it often does. But, it doesn’t stop all track-related nor equipment-related derailments and accidents, which is the goal of the future. Doing so will require a renewed commitment to technological innovation and rethinking current regulatory procedures that bog down the process.

Autonomous track inspection technologies offer an exceptional assist to PTC. They offer more thorough inspection, less train delays, and reduces inspector headcount. The future of this technology is found in the lighter system developed last year by Norfolk Southern. Unlike its predecessors, which “are heavy and bulky devices installed on converted freight or passenger rail cars . . . [and] typically require an external power source to operate,” this system will be “powered by a computer inside the electrical locker in the locomotive cab.” It will “complement data gathered from testing involving manned track geometry cars and hi-rail trucks.”

Rail research on key track issues continues as well, with the AAR’s Transportation Technology Center, Inc (TTCI) pursuing projects including infrastructure/weld performance; rail performance and integrity; and bridge testing under heavy axel loads. And then we see artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities playing an increasing role in car inspections with industrial AI software becoming mainstream.

Autonomous Operations & Enhanced Safety Protocols
Beyond what’s been detailed above, there are also Single Person Crew recommendations currently under review by the FRA. Using Western Australia’s “heavy-haul, long-distance autonomous rail operations” as a case study, they’re seeing improved “safety by reducing risk at level crossings and through its automated responses to speed restrictions and alarms. It also eliminates the need to transport drivers to and from trains mid-journey saving almost 1.5 million kilometres of road travel each year – a safety risk. And it delivers productivity and environmental benefits by using information about the train and rail network topography to calculate and deliver a safe, consistent driving strategy.”

Operating with less staff requires exceptionally trained staff. And keeping workers up-to-speed on these changes as they happen will require equally innovative and fast-paced training. We connected with Mark Vaughn, Assistant General Manager, Iowa Northern Railway Company about this potential:

“The recent rapid acceleration in technology has provided railroads opportunities for training solutions that were not easily or even attainable in the recent past. New simulation technologies have provided employees in various departments the opportunity to train in vastly immersive virtual environments. These technologies provide a platform for the users to develop critical thinking skills with higher rates of knowledge retention than some of the methods previously utilized. These emerging safety and training technologies allow us to create a safer workplace for our employees and a more efficient operation which means better service and dependability to our customers.”

We’ve been working with other industry leaders to capture railroad training requirements  – simulation-based training modules that are immediately available to personnel anytime, anywhere. It’s an exciting time to be partnering with Class 1, short line and commuter rail companies as they upcycle their training protocols to keep pace with these innovations!

As our CEO Raj Raheja says:

“Any Railroad that does not use simulation is learning with real mistakes. Simulated scenarios allow for typical and atypical Reps & Sets – improving the muscle memory of railroaders through virtual practice reduces errors – saving money, time and fines.”

Looking Toward a Sustainable Tomorrow
All of this ties into a larger trend affecting us all – sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. With simulated training, workers aren’t required to travel (nor even miss a shift at work) to obtain the very latest operational intel. This is huge and could tie in well with a growing push toward offering battery-electric locomotives and fuel cell-powered locomotives, the first of which “has rolled off the assembly line at CRRC’s factory” in Datong, China.

“The locomotive uses a combination of a hydrogen fuel cell system and a high-power lithium battery,” says Zhao Mingyuan, chief engineer of CRRC Datong Co. Ltd. “Compared with traditional fuel and electric locomotives, hydrogen-fueled hybrid locomotives are not only safer and more environmentally friendly but also quieter, cheaper and easier to maintain.”

With the trains of tomorrow deploying a variety of autonomous operating systems, as well as “different power levels and power modes to cater to multiple applications, such as operating in tunnels and mines,” it won’t only be equipment that’s in need of retrofitting. As these technologies take hold with greater speed and frequency, be sure the human side of your organization is ready to adapt along with them and get Trained Faster, Smarter, and Safer.

Reach out and we can walk you through simulations that will help you do just that!

The post Tech Innovations Impacting Rail in 2021 & Beyond appeared first on Heartwood.

Train Station Workers Learn Ropes with Virtual Simulations

Using Virtual Reality, MTR Crossrail in London has developed a platform that “allows trainee staff to walk around and interact with objects using movements and arm gestures. Training is staged across a number of scenarios, from reporting faults on critical station equipment, to dealing with safety hazards that would be too dangerous to replicate in real life.”

It isn’t designed to replace current training, but rather to enhance it. Citing studies that speak to VR training leading to superior learner retention, this simulated station is meant to act as a proof of concept training – one that they hope will expand out to other immersive and interactive training opportunities.

Another benefit is the ability to “have two people in the same environment at the same time.” They can interact, as they would in their real-life roles, and can take on different roles to have a better holistic view of the operation. It’s cross-training of the future!

And then the portability of the training is major plus to them. “The VR kits you see in demos can probably be put it in a holdall with a powerful laptop. Instead of having everyone come to a training centre, it’s transferrable. . . .and [you’re no longer] geographically constrained from a training centre, where everyone’s got to come to you.” The ROI there will be incredible.

Designing & Testing Trains with VR
Swiss train builder, Stadler, now offers VR headsets so drivers can have an immersive experience where they see inside train cabs before they’ve been built. This allows them to “offer essential feedback on the controls, layout, and instrument displays.”

“Computer-generated images allow drivers to offer feedback on the controls, layout and instrument displays”

Not only does this help with design, but it also helps drivers better prepare for changes, as they can “get a feel for the new trains from the very early stages of the project and . . . this ultimately saves time and resources.” It also help railways better prepare for training, by “helping facilitators understand and address roadblocks in the learning process and create tailored training experiences.”

And this simulation training is also COVID-friendly, which is an unexpected benefit during these challenging pandemic-affected times.

Be sure to check out our Rail Virtual Training Solutions to see why BNSF, CSX, Amtrak, NS, UP, CN & KCS partner with Heartwood to deploy a variety of railroad training simulations and guides. And if you have any questions about these technologies, please reach out!

Image Credit 1
Image Credit 2

The post Rail Tech Talk – Designing Trains, Practicing Station Scenarios with Simulations appeared first on Heartwood.

Railroads have always played a vital role in the U.S. economy and their ability to quickly adapt to support the nations’ recovery is more important than ever. The PSR railroad revolution was already underway prior to the pandemic being seen as a global event. Railroads had changed their operating strategy, with PSR in full swing when traffic volumes in 2020 showed a steep decline due to COVID-19.

Railroads’ 2020 Decline
According to The Association of American Railroads (AAR), when comparing 2020 to 2019 numbers, we see the year-over year change in annual carloadings decrease by 7.2%.

The last half of 2020 saw rail traffic increase in its least profitable commodity (Intermodal) increase of 10.7%. This segment shows where rails will grow in 2021 and beyond %. And although that’s still a significant loss, numbers are trending in the right direction, as plans to adjust to a new normal begin to take shape on the horizon:

Data Source – Union Pacific 2020

As states and commerce slowly reopen, industry is taking tentative steps toward recovery as well, and U.S. Class I railroads are moving in tandem with this demand. The expected upswing is apparently significant, as the FRA and STB issued a rare joint letter warning railroads to get ready for the rebound.

Railroads have responded, “assuring the two agencies that they are prepared for an upsurge in traffic.” Plans are underway to accommodate these unprecedented reopening challenges. Railroads plan to leverage existing resources to support the demand by bringing equipment out of storage and increasing train sizes. This will mean workforce will need to be more flexible and be Qualified/Certified on different roles. An example is QMIs (Qualified Mechanical Inspectors) for inspection of locomotives and cars –  1 Employee for 2 Inspections.

The new brake laws may also need less people, and railroads can take that capacity and move it to locomotives – and so on. Railroad leaders will want to pause and understand this shift to a multi-skilled employee workforce.

Meeting Demand While Controlling Costs with Simulation Training
As the economy recovers, leveraging existing resources efficiently will be critical as the railroads meet the expectations of customers and shareholders. Simulation training offers scalable solutions that will make training through the recovery efficient and safe, while reducing operating ratios.

With little room for mistakes, particularly on longer trains, railroads want to ensure a safe and expedient return to service. Refresher classes to support any craft can take up anywhere from eight hours to five days, depending on the regulatory requirements they have to follow. That’s the in-person timeline though. With simulation training, one day of training can be covered with one hour on a simulation. And it’s not only faster, but the learner retention is superior as well.

Learning by doing creates optimal results, because students are shown what to do and then do it themselves. The practice on real-time visualizations that are tailored to wherever they are and that guide them through to mastery. The ability to practice anytime, anywhere from a laptop or tablet combined with repeated, targeted practice that is easy to monitor and evaluate for progress, makes simulations ideal. There’s no need to miss work, no disruption to tight timelines. And the associated muscle memory significantly enhances retention.

Not to mention, workers can train in emergency scenarios using simulations as well – and there are many associated long-term cost savings.

Having worked with BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern and KCS to design a number of rail simulations and guides, we understand what railroads need to get their Mechanical, Transportation, Engineering, Safety and C&S workers up to speed. We have existing trainings supporting – Air Brake Test (CFR 232, 238), Pre-departure Inspection (CFR 215, 238), Locomotive Daily Inspection (CFR 229), Air Flow Simulation (CFR 232, 238) – and many more in development.

We’d love to take you for a tour of our simulations and help you enhance operational efficiencies in 2021 with a solid, safety-enhancing training plan in place. Reach out to schedule a demo or ask any questions.

The post Preparing for the Rail Recovery with Simulation Training appeared first on Heartwood.