Metrolink drivers have the inside track of new route

Metrolink drivers have the inside track of new route

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Following the announcement that the second Metrolink line through the heart of Manchester city centre will open on 26 February, more than 250 drivers have undergone intensive training of the new route.

The Second City Crossing will connect the expanded St Peter’s Square stop via Princess Street and Cross Street with Exchange Square and Victoria Station.

To get ready for its official opening, Metrolink drivers are put through a training programme by Metrolink operator RATP Dev Ltd. The programme includes the use of innovative software, dubbed ‘Tram-Pro’.

‘Tram-Pro’, developed by RATP Dev along with a specialist company, is a simulator to help staff learn new routes and become familiar with the junctions, signals and stops.

As well as simulator training, drivers also need to learn the route codes, which they input themselves, that trigger information boards.

Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink Director, Peter Cushing, said: “Thanks to state-of-the-art technology at our training depot, including the innovative simulator software, more than 250 drivers are already well-versed with the new Second City Crossing.

“This is a very exciting time for us; training for drivers is one of the final pieces of the jigsaw that we’re putting in place before the line opens on 26 February.”

Chris Coleman, Managing Director at Metrolink RATP Dev Ltd said “This bespoke simulation technology allows us to undertake much of the driver training in a safe classroom environment. This has also proved to be an effective and efficient way to train drivers on new routes.”

The Second City Crossing is part of the transformational Grow project which is seeing more than £1 billion invested into city centre infrastructure improvements by 2017, including bus priority measures, six new and better cycle routes into the city centre and major rail improvements.