DigitalTrains™

Define routes quickly using GPS and online maps – ideal for early project evaluation:

• Interactive route creation with automatic geometry generation
• GPS data upload when survey data is unavailable
• Trace existing rail alignments to build digital twins
• Add event markers for braking, traction and impact simulations

This is a differentiator for DigitalTrains™ vs many traditional simulation tools which require manual numeric entry of geometry or expensive preprocessing.

• Access models anywhere via the web or Altair Marketplace
• Share simulations instantly via email invites
• Controlled revision and approval workflows
• Centralised libraries shared across teams and projects

This is especially helpful for multi-stakeholder projects such as infrastructure planning, OEM design reviews, and cross-company collaboration.

• Extensive pre-built libraries (vehicles, bogies, couplers, wheel/rail profiles, gauges)
• Import CAD models for 3D visualisation
• Download assets (e.g. STEP files) for use in external CAD/FEA tools CAD/FEA tools.

Rich component libraries make it easier to build realistic models quickly without starting from scratch.

DigitalTrains™ isn’t just mapping + visualisation; it supports:

Impact simulations

• Train-to-train and train-to-buffer-stop collisions under various conditions with analysis of forces & accelerations.

• Braking & traction profiles can be defined as functions of location, time or speed – enabling realistic operational performance simulations.
• Evaluate track forces, buffer and coupler loads, derailment risk, flange climb scenarios.

Delivery accurate results while saving hours of manual calculations

DigitalTrains™ provides a comprehensive suite of gauging and train running tools that help you to analyse clearances and identifying potential clashes or issues along rail infrastructure.

Includes static, kinematic and absolute gauging tools for infrastructure clearance checks. Going beyond what you’d typically see in basic visualisation or route planning tools.

• Compare train designs and scenarios side-by-side
• Benchmark against reference or “digital twin” trains
• Export results as graphs, CSVs, animations and technical reports

Supporting confident design decisions, compliance and stakeholder communication.

Simulate train-to-train, train-to-buffer, train to buffer stops (arrestors) – both fixed and sliding and train-to-obstacle impacts;

• Train mass (empty vs. fully loaded passengers) Speed profiles
• Coupler types, buffers, crumple zones, draw gear, anti-climbing devices
• Bogie behaviour and car articulation Hundreds or thousands of collision scenarios can be tested virtually
• Edge cases (rare but catastrophic events) can be explored safely
• Physical testing is reserved only for final validation
• Fewer physical prototypes
• Lower test-track and certification costs

Physical crash tests and full-scale prototypes are:

• Extremely expensive
• Time-consuming
• Limited in the number of scenarios they can cover
• Faster design iterations
• Optimise energy absorption systems (buffers, couplers, crash structures) before physical prototypes exist.

Traditional approach:

Design → build → test → redesign → rebuild

Simulation-driven approach:

Design → simulate → optimise → validate → build

• Quickly assess trade-offs (e.g., heavier crash structures vs. energy efficiency)
• Tune bogie stiffness, suspension, and mass distribution
• Evaluate the effect of passenger load variation on braking and collision outcomes

Rail safety standards require:

• Proof of crashworthiness
• Occupant safety validation
• Structural integrity under defined impact scenarios

Simulation software can: 

• Generate traceable evidence for certification
• Demonstrate compliance across multiple regulatory regimes
• Support “what-if” justifications when deviating from prescriptive designs

This offers fewer surprises during approval, reduces the risk of late-stage redesigns delivers a stronger technical argument with regulators.

DigitalTrains™ combines:

• VAMPIRE Pro for detailed multi-body vehicle dynamics, wheel-rail contact and suspension behaviour
• Oleo longitudinal dynamics for modelling impacts, coupler forces and train interactions

These validated engines deliver OEM-grade accuracy in a more accessible, shareable format.