Northern has recently received a prototype of their new semi-immersive static cab simulator, which will soon be used to train new drivers. The company has ordered 24 of these static cab replicas, featuring video footage of 610 miles of Northern routes across the North of England.
These static simulators will be complemented by six full-immersion, motion platform simulators and two integrated crew training facility units that simulate passenger door control panels. These additional units are already on order and will be introduced to Northern’s training academies later this year.
This initiative is part of a significant transformation in Northern's training approach, aimed at accelerating the process for traincrew to achieve their train and route competence.
Lisa Leighton, people director at Northern, said: “We have over 3,400 drivers and conductors based across our network and it’s important each and every one of them has the skills and knowledge to perform at their best.
“This includes ensuring they have access to great training and development facilities - not just during their induction and initial training – but throughout their time with Northern.
“We’re excited to put the prototype to the test over the next few months and see the benefits it will bring to our training programme.”
Northern is expected to announce its driver and conductor recruitment plans for 2025 in the coming weeks.
Image credit: Northern
