NICC Group Training Simulator

The HS2 Group Training Facility (GTF) is used specifically to facilitate the training and retention of competence of the roles as a group i.e. the interworking between the various roles required in different modes of operation e.g. normal working, perturbed, under maintenance and emergency. It builds on other separate training facilities, provided by others, that address the training and retention of individual operator competence on the specific operational technology systems that are used to control and manage the railway e.g. the (Rail) Traffic Management System.

The GTF will support the training for the Traffic Manager Controller, Infrastructure Manager Controller, Shift Manager, Security Controller, Customer Experience Controller, Resource Controller and Rolling Stock Controller roles.

The GTF includes a Group Training Simulator (GTS) along with workstation furniture for both trainees and trainers located in a dedicated space within the Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC). The allocated space comprises an instructor’s room which contains the instructors and user interface equipment needed to manage, control, monitor and evaluate the sessions, and the group training room which contains the operators and their user interface equipment. There is also a separately located GTS equipment space within the NICC available to house simulator equipment where this is provided on site.

The Group Training Simulator (GTS) is used to provide a comprehensive single platform that simulates the various operational systems, operational communication systems, and selected elements of the supporting IT operational and business applications that enable the operation and control of the HS2 railway. The simulation will also include an element of rail traffic simulation and rail infrastructure simulation.

As the GTS is not being used for training on the operational technology systems themselves, it is not required to provide a precise simulation/emulation of the individual systems. However, the GTS must provide a sufficient level of fidelity to the live operational systems so that meaningful training can be accomplished with a reasonable level of authenticity – e.g., the system should at least appear as close as possible to the real system and not introduce any confusion to operators during training.

The GTS is entirely separate from the operational technology systems and has no connection with them, though there will be some connectivity with corporate IT systems for the purposes of passing training and competence assessment data generated within the GTS to other associated HS2 IT systems. There will therefore need to be some consideration of, and compliance with, HS2 cyber security standards and provisions as part of design and deployment.

The GTS needs to be deployed to the GTF within the NICC and the assigned rooms mentioned earlier, noting that the Instructor workstation furniture will form part of the envisaged scope of supply for the GTS, whereas trainee workstations are already provisioned through a contract with another supplier.

Further detail is available with the Market Sounding Briefing Document available from Paul Markham, Procurement Category Manager - paul.markham@hs2.org.uk