CITEF INSTALLS THE VLT CARIOCA SIMULATOR

In early December CITEF finished installing the driver training simulator for VLT CARIOCA trams in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), a project started eight months ago and one that represents the first training simulator for this type of vehicle installed not only in Brazil, but across Latin America.

The simulator consists of two student training posts, an instructor post and an observation post. The software reproduces a stretch of over 13 km of track from the Porto Maravilha VLT project and includes details of how the rolling stock performs (Alstom CITADIS 402), traffic and tram signals, vehicle traffic, pedestrian movement and all the track elements of the selected route, such as streets, intersections and buildings… among others.

In addition to these elements, the simulation includes others designed to provide high-quality training, such as a number of breakdowns and incidents designed to train students in both normal and degraded driving conditions.

The project has been developed in parallel with the construction of the vehicles and infrastructure and is a step towards the implementation of the first section of the VLT CARIOCA tram service ahead of the Olympic Games that are to be held in Rio in 2016.

The planned network will cover a total of six lines with a combined length of 28 km and 32 stops. Once completed, it will carry up to 300,000 passengers a day with a fleet of 32 trams travelling in intervals of three to fifteen minutes 24 hours a day.