Pennant have been working with customer Translink for over 15 years, and were delighted that on Wednesday 17th July, our colleagues Lee White, Will Bruce and Tom Blacker flew to Belfast to visit Gary Cooley, Rail Services Change Manager and Stephen Faulkner, Change Control Supervisor – Rail Operations of Translink, to undertake a Project and Sales review with key personnel from Northern Ireland’s only rail operator.
Back in Q4 2023, Pennant and Translink agreed on a 5-year framework to provide driver training projects, to reflect changes to the network, resultant of significant investment in the public transport sector from Government. The inaugural project of the framework was initiated in December 2023, with a scope to provide a comprehensive Driver Training package, resultant of new rail infrastructure being commissioned in and around the new Belfast Transport Hub. The deliverables comprise of filming, modelling, and mapping the planned routes into and out of the Belfast Hub, including mandated speed and signal changes.
The purpose of the visit was to undertake a face-to-face project review, concluding with facilitation of a lessons learned session. In addition, the visit gave Pennant the opportunity to provide Translink with an overview of Pennant’s Product and Service’s catalogue. The project review was successful, with Translink confirming they were extremely happy with the way the project had been executed, despite challenges with providing baselined data to Pennant. The review also allowed both parties to assess how the future workflow could be improved. It was also confirmed that the end users in receipt of the training have commented on the high quality of the training package.
The team discussed Pennant’s completion of the driver briefing videos and 3D models for the new routes travelling to Grand Central Station in Belfast, before gathering technical and operational leads for Signalling and Telegraph (S&T), Training and Programme Management, for a presentation on Pennant’s wider offering. From capabilities in electrical and signalling simulators and virtual reality training products to e-learning, technical documentation, as well as non-technical video and publication services, which all received good interest.
Translink informed us that our driver briefing training services being produced in advance brought Grand Central’s initial opening date forward by four weeks.
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