Today, in the presence of the Minister of Transport, the management of ČD Cargo, the parent company České dráhy and other representatives of authorities and institutions related to railway transport, the carrier ČD Cargo festively launched the operation of a new train control simulator in Česká Třebová. All ČD Cargo train drivers will be trained there on a regular basis. The simulator is a faithful copy of the driver's cabin of a Siemens Vectron locomotive.

"Traffic safety is an absolute priority for ČD Cargo. That is why every two years, our drivers undergo individual training on the simulator under the guidance of a lecturer from the Transport Training Institute. Here they can try out, for example, reacting to signaling equipment failures on the line, driving a train under the ETCS supervision, but they will also deal with emergency situations they may encounter in regular operation," said Tomáš Tóth, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ČD Cargo.

"Train hard, fight easy. Preventing emergencies, reacting correctly in an extraordinary situation, is one of the important prerequisites to better manage traffic, to improve safety on the railway. This year, we have as a main theme the preparation for ETCS supervised operation. I see the commissioning of the new simulator as an important milestone enabling a simpler transition to the new train control system," added Transport Minister Martin Kupka.

The drivers run the simulator on lines based on real railway network. Currently, the lines Chałupki – Bohumín – Hranice na Moravě, Hranice na Moravě – Valašské Meziříčí, Valašské Meziříčí – Frýdlant nad Ostravicí and Suchdol nad Odrou – Vítkov are available. The lines were selected to include the most frequently used ways of interlocking train journeys on the network of Správa železnic. These are automatic block, automatic signal block, and control, command and signaling according to the D3 rules.

The simulator is also equipped with signaling systems used on ČD Cargo locomotives, such as LS 06, Mirell, or ETCS level 2. In connection with the expansion abroad, the simulator is also equipped with signaling systems of foreign railways (e.g. SHP, LZB or PZB). The simulator is supplied by Sim Factor, a company known for supplying similar equipment to Poland, Austria, Great Britain, Lithuania, and other countries.