Brendan Morris is an experienced entrepreneur and the CEO of Denova. Founded in 2007, Brendan and the Denova team have developed a wide range of cutting edge rail training technologies for innovative rail operators and manufacturers across the UK, EU and Australia. Having been around since before smartphones, Brendan understands the benefit of combining technical expertise and practical rail knowledge when designing new training applications, and welcomes a partnership approach with traditional rail training companies to ensure that Denova’s product range delivers long term value to the industry.
Sam Sherwood-Hale spoke to Brendan Morris, CEO of Denova, about how Transport for Wales became the first UK train operator to introduce VR training for train managers, and why this technology is now poised to transform competence development across the rail industry.
SSH: How did the partnership with Transport for Wales (TfW) begin, and what made them the ideal partner to become the first UK train operator to introduce VR training for their Train Manager function? What was their vision for bridging the gap between classroom theory and practical experience that led to this industry first?
BM: Denova has been working in the rail industry for 20 years, supporting operators with training technologies and applications ranging from new train discovery to ETCS introduction and all points in between. Every application we build is in response to customer requirements and designed to accelerate learning while complementing traditional training methods. Over the years we’ve learned a lot about how trains, networks and the industry works, and see ourselves now as more of a rail/tech hybrid company than a software house. We work with many operators, trainers and manufacturers across the UK, EU and Australia, and the one common thread through them all is that everyone cares about the safety of the network, its workers and passengers. ‘The railway family’ isn’t a platitude, it’s an attitude and commitment that we share, in our small contribution to improving competence and safety standards.
Our relationship with TfW started when we were employed by the rail manufacturer, to develop the simulator training app for the Class 197. This was targeted at drivers and included train discovery, train management systems (TMS) familiarisation, simulation of train preparation procedures, and degraded/ emergency fault scenarios.
Once it was delivered, James Cooper, Head of Workforce Planning and Operational Training at TfW approached us to discuss how the technology could also be used to deliver training outcomes for train managers, specifically in simulating dispatch and emergency procedures Their main objective was to enable trainee train managers to experience high risk, infrequent tasks in a risk-free environment. To achieve this, TfW realised that they’d need to accelerate learning to bridge the gap between the trainee’s classroom theory and their practical experience.
TfW came to the project with a mature and detailed understanding of what they wanted to achieve and by adding our technical expertise created an informed design team.
SSH: What were the biggest technical challenges in creating a computerised replica of Transport for Wales’ Class 197 train, and how did you ensure the virtual environment accurately reflects the real-world conditions that trainees will face on the majority of mainline routes across Wales and the Borders?
BM: We’ve been building rail training simulators for PCs, laptops and tablets for a long time and one of the most essential design guidelines is that the visual content has to be accurate, from the colour of chairs to the cab controls. The slightest variation will be noticed, and criticised, so our expertise lies in building exact replicas. The quickest way to build the models is using 3D CAD which is usually available with new trains however they can be built from 2D images in the case of older traction.
In terms of interactivity, we use the procedures specified in train operating manuals to simulate the required procedures. This is followed by an iterative build approach with the training design team, to ensure that the simulation continually matches the technical specification. Lastly, user group feedback is gathered to comment on the visual content, technical specification and the user experience.
Technical challenges are only part of the process as consideration must be given as to how new training technologies are going to be used practically in the operators’ training programmes. User interface design and ‘train the trainer’ courses have to be carefully designed, otherwise the clever technical solutions will not be adopted.
SSH: David Lewis mentioned that this type of training is used by the military, NHS, and emergency services, but Transport for Wales is the first train operator to introduce it for train managers. How did you adapt VR training methodologies from these other sectors specifically for rail operations, and what makes the rail environment uniquely suited to this technology?
BM: VR has been around for a long time. It’s being used in industries such as healthcare and aviation, where repeat practice is essential to build competence, but access to live environments is difficult, if not impossible. The rail industry often finds itself in this situation, particularly with guards or train managers, where access to trains for the purpose of training is limited, let alone to simulate degraded and emergency procedures.
The rail industry is not uniquely suited to VR, but the technology is uniquely suited to solving a rail training problem, namely providing trainers with the environments that allow them to explore and teach scenarios that trainees may seldom see however must be competent in. Virtual Reality is ideally suited to replicating the stressful environment often experienced by train managers.
The easy accessibility of VR is making it a viable technology for training across the rail industry. Advancement such as standalone headsets and enterprise management systems, designed for business has, quite quickly, made the technology much more suitable for delivering essential training interventions.
SSH: The system allows trainees to experience situations they ‘just wouldn’t typically experience in the real world’ as Lee Alexander noted. How do you research and develop these rare emergency scenarios – such as fires onboard, signal failures, and suspicious items – to ensure they’re both realistic and pedagogically effective for building competence in safety-critical procedures?
BM: This is an important question, and its answer changed during the TfW project. Firstly, the visual and procedural elements of the degraded or emergency scenarios were captured through discussion with the TfW training design team. We then storyboarded each scenario, including the physical on-board procedures and descriptions of experienced incidents (every train manager has a story!).
What became evident during the design process was that the original perceived learning outcomes of completing procedures such as extinguishing a fire, or evacuating a train were not as important as the value of the trainee assessing a situation and making a decision, that they could then discuss in real-time with their trainer. This was a revelation to the design team and has impacted the way in which the Dispatch Simulator is used in delivering technical and non-technical skills.
The onus is on us, as the VR content developers, to provide trainers with flexible environments that allows them to initiate as many and varied training interventions as they require to deliver their learning outcomes. Our visual content and interactivity has to be accurate, however we are simply providing the trainer with the environments and content controls. They remain in charge of the training.
SSH: You’ve been at the forefront of rail training technologies since 2007 and previously described VR as “the solution looking for a problem” in rail. What changed to make this Transport for Wales project viable now, and why did operators suddenly start requesting VR for Train Managers rather than the more established driving simulator applications?
BM: As we have experienced with our tablet simulators, there is a tipping point with training applications where the technology, market demand and realisation of benefits meet, and we’re at that point in the use of VR for non-driving roles in the rail industry. The technology has matured to the point where it is inexpensive (the same cost as a smartphone), headsets are now easy to manage (standalone units requiring minimal setup) and there is a better understanding across the industry of its benefits.
Established simulator applications such as full cab, desktop and tablets are designed for drivers. That problem has been largely solved and offers little in terms of training, or availability, for train managers. Whilst there are elements of in-cab training, such as GSM-R procedures, which a train manager needs to practise, their jobs are significantly different to drivers and, as such, the desired learning outcomes and means of training require a different approach.
Simulation for customer facing scenarios, such as train dispatch, is less prescriptive than traditional driver simulation, enabling trainees to experience the sometimes chaotic environment of degraded situations. VR now offers this capability, and with the advent of standalone headsets, the technology has come of age, making it as accessible to train operators as buying and using tablets in standard classroom environments.
SSH: Lee Alexander, with 18 years of railway experience, was impressed that instructors can suggest ideas for different scenarios. How important was this collaborative approach with experienced Transport for Wales staff in developing the training content, and how do you incorporate their expertise into creating new scenarios that address real operational challenges?
BM: Collaboration with the training design team is essential, not just in terms of content, but also for putting a strategy in place of how the new technology can be easily adopted and used.
Trainers, for good reason, generally come from a starting point of being used to specifying scenario conditions when buying driver simulators; however, this doesn’t necessarily transfer when the trainees’ job role, responsibilities and learning outcomes are not the same as a driver. We’re building simulators for train managers which provide trainers with the environments they need to teach essential procedures, particularly degraded and emergency scenarios. The visual content and interactivity has to reflect real environments and lived experience. Capturing this is a new process for the industry and requires an iterative design approach that gently pulls the valuable data from the training design teams as they start to experience the VR environments.
Train manager VR simulators are different to cab simulators however their design, planning and implementation requires the same degree of attention, if they are to deliver real, tangible benefits.
The collaboration also doesn’t stop with the delivery of the simulator. Feedback from Transport for Wales is that the environment and scenarios have significantly enhanced the discussions during the training processes and that trainees are seeing things that they wouldn’t normally see until they are out on the live train. The technology is pre-empting problems or discussions, which is helping significantly to accelerate the training.
SSH: The VR scenarios include dispatch procedures on a range of platform types and interactive elements like using a whistle to alert virtual customers and speaking to drivers via the onboard phone. How detailed did you make these interactions, and what role does this level of realism play in building trainee confidence before they move to live operations with real passengers and distractions?
BM: For VR simulation to be effective, it must be realistic, believable, and elicit a response from the trainee which is similar, if not identical, to that which they would give in real life. The level of realism depends on the learning outcome being taught. In the case of TfW dispatch, the platform configurations i.e. long, short, curved etc and the associated dispatch corridor were deemed essential to teach correct dispatch procedures, but not features such as retail units or station buildings. Classroom time is limited so the focus has to be on specific training, not providing a VR environment to admire.
The environments we build are designed in collaboration with the training team with the focus purely on teaching. Included in that is giving the trainer the ability to introduce actions and distractions into the trainees VR experience in real time. We do this by providing the trainer with a control tablet linked to the headsets which enables them to introduce realistic audio and visual distractions designed to challenge the trainee, ranging from a customer asking a question to an on-board fire. Feedback from TfW users has indicated that being able to simulate the random, and often chaotic, behaviour of passengers in degraded and emergency situations is of significant value in training. We are working on developing this further for future releases.
SSH: You describe this as a ‘Dispatch Simulator’ similar to cab simulators for driving, and emphasise VR as part of an “integrated blended solution.” How does the Transport for Wales VR training fit into their broader training programme, how does it complement rather than replace their existing practical training methods, and what does this blended approach look like in practice?
BM: The similarity between a dispatch simulator and a cab simulator is that each provides the best possible rehearsal for the intended jobs in real life. Successfully navigating the simulated training scenarios in each are a culmination of months of training that is a significant time and cost investment on the part of the trainee, trainer and operator.
Advancements in technologies such as mobile, virtual and mixed reality applications offer the industry the opportunity to improve and accelerate learning processes, however there is no single panacea, either for a job role or individual. Effective training has to include a blend of methods that complement each other and most importantly deliver the desired learning outcomes. TfW have
recognised this and incorporated it into their training strategy.
A blended training approach is much more than just using different training technologies, in fact the technology is often the easy part, it’s about how each element is used to its best effect. Sometimes a PowerPoint can be the quickest and most effective way of delivering a learning outcome!
SSH: Transport for Wales has ‘really led the way with this innovation’ and you’re seeing interest from other UK operators. What specific aspects of the Transport for Wales implementation are other operators most interested in, how is this project serving as a model for the wider industry, and what does your strategy look like for scaling this technology across the rail sector?
BM: It’s safe to say that the TfW Dispatch Simulator has kick-started the industry’s imagination. Starting with the self-dispatch and emergency environments provided to TfW we are now working with other operators to develop a range of new virtual and mixed reality environments that will enable training for procedures such as station dispatch, personal track safety (PTS), traction familiarisation, train preparation procedures and coupling.
From a development perspective, we are building a scalable model that will include generic environments where operator-specific requirements such as traction types and procedures can, cost effectively, be added. The feedback from TfW is also influencing our design in the simulation of customer behaviour using controllable avatars. This will be a really interesting development that should have a positive impact on how non-technical skills are taught.
The development of our VR simulators is moving fast, with lots of ideas being raised, however, as we have seen with our tablet simulators, to build a scalable model, the technology has to be tested against its ability to deliver clear learning outcomes, be easy to use and cost effective. Our goal is to achieve all three.
SSH: What’s next for the Transport for Wales VR training programme? Are there plans to expand the scenarios, add new features, or extend the technology to other roles within their operations, and how do you measure whether the VR training is effectively preparing staff for critical situations while building the confidence and competence that David Lewis and Lee Alexander highlighted?
BM: Yes, yes, and yes! Transport for Wales have launched the app with their trainers and are using it in the training sessions across their network. We’re getting great feedback from them including suggested changes and new training applications. One surprising one was its effective use in re-enacting live incidents with train managers in a safe learning environment.
The simulator is designed to replicate the live network environment, so it has to be maintained to reflect real live changes, either with the visual or procedural content. To remain effective, it can’t stand still.
Measuring the effectiveness of the VR simulation technology is a really interesting question. In the case of the TfW dispatch simulator, the ultimate measurement will be in the number of future PTI incidents recorded after the training has been completely embedded, however the technology will also be able to provide insight, both measured and anecdotal, on its effectiveness to accelerate learning and competence in technical and non-technical skills.
This is definitely an area of study worth pursuing as the VR simulators are rolled out.
Denova’s Dispatch Simulator is the first scalable use of virtual reality for the global rail industry. It approaches simulation from a train manager’s perspective. It’s an ‘industry first’ that provides trainers with the environments they require to deliver learning outcomes and enables trainees to experience degraded and emergency scenarios that they may seldom experience, but must be competent in.
Email: hello@denovasolve.com
Website: www.denovasolve.com
