KiwiRail is giving the public a taste of what it’s like to be a train driver this Rail Safety Week, with its locomotive simulator set to make a rare appearance outside Parliament for the campaign’s launch on Monday 14 August.
The simulator looks like a freight container but contains a classroom and cab, where new and experienced drivers are tested on how they handle various situations and environments they face on the job.
Those who would like to experience the simulator can turn up at Parliament’s grounds (Molesworth St, Pipitea, Wellington) between 12pm and 5pm on the day of the launch. Children are also welcome to test the simulator as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
Rail Safety Week is a national awareness campaign coordinated by KiwiRail in close partnership with TrackSAFE NZ. This year the campaign is addressing the trend of rail incidents involving pedestrians wearing headphones, with a new social media campaign called Track Stoppers.
The video, which features up and coming Wellington band, Drax Project, encourages pedestrians to ditch their devices when approaching level crossings and will be available to view on KiwiRail's Facebook page from 11am on Monday 14 August.
For further information on Rail Safety Week please see www.tracksafe.co.nz