DB Cargo UK has officially opened a new training centre of excellence at its HQ in Doncaster in preparation for the introduction of the new in-cab signalling system, the European Train Control System (ETCS).
The new centre houses a Class 66 full cab simulator as well as six ultra-light simulators, two instructor stations, training rooms, an agile breakout area, study rooms and kitchen.
Environmental sustainability has been at the heart of the planning, design and construction of the new facility, using products made from recycled materials wherever possible and the most energy efficient technologies.
The East Coast Digital Programme will see the first introduction of ETCS to an intercity mainline in the UK and will provide the foundation for future expansion of digital signalling across the network.
In the first stage, digital signalling has been introduced on the Northern City Line, between Finsbury and Moorgate.
It is then being progressively rolled out on the southern section of the East Coast Mainline between London King’s Cross and the Stoke Tunnels, near Grantham.
It is expected that the first trains to operate on the East Coast Mainline using digital signalling technology will run in late 2025.
As well as the centre in Doncaster, DB Cargo UK has also invested in a second facility at its depot in Wembley, North-West London, and a Mobile Training Facility (MTF) which will be deployed to key strategic locations across England, Scotland and Wales.
DB Cargo UK’s chief operating officer Neil Ethell said: “Doncaster has a long and rich association with the rail industry, so it is entirely fitting that we chose our headquarters in the city to host one of our new training centres of excellence.
“At DB Cargo UK we have more than 600 drivers, more than 400 groundstaff and over 600 engineers, so it’s fair to say that this centre, and the others we have developed with funding from Network Rail, will play a pivotal role in training a new generation of rail staff.”
