Training locomotive crew is a logistics problem before it's a learning one. For GB Railfreight (GBRf), one of the UK's largest rail freight operators, every new hire had to travel to Peterborough, just to get familiar with a cab layout. For some trainees, this is a long way from home. With a new fleet of Class 99 locomotives entering service, that approach wasn't going to scale.
Spatial computing for real operational training
GBRf moves a quarter of the UK's rail freight and operates one of the most respected safety and training programs in the industry. When they needed a way to prepare crew for the Class 99s before the locomotives arrived on the network, they looked beyond traditional classroom methods.
Through a three-year partnership with JigSpace, GBRf is using Apple Vision Pro to deliver immersive remote training, with the first modules rolling out in March 2026. Led by Bradley Moore, Training Development & Innovation Manager, and Jon Garner, Senior Operational Training Manager, GBRf is among the first UK rail operators to deploy spatial computing for operational crew training.
The challenge
GBRf's training pipeline depended on getting people physically in front of a locomotive. Crew members traveled from across the UK to the Peterborough Training School, often multiple times, to learn cab layouts, walk-around procedures, and key component locations. The costs added up fast: travel, accommodation, and time off-network. This process bottleneck only gets worse when new rolling stock enters service.
With the Class 99 fleet on its way, hundreds of crew needed training on an unfamiliar locomotive. Doing that entirely in-person would be slow and expensive.
"Apple Vision Pro allows our teams to interact with locomotive components from anywhere in the country with unprecedented realism. Not only will it save hundreds of prospective train crew travelling to our HQ in Peterborough, but it also gives them a level of access and detail we've never been able to offer before, allowing a deep dive into both the cab and key components."
— David Golding, Safety and Sustainability Director at GB Railfreight
It started in an Apple Store
The relationship between GBRf and JigSpace didn't start with a sales call. Members of the GBRf team visited Apple Covent Garden for a Vision Pro demonstration, where Apple staff pulled up JigSpace to show what spatial computing could do with industrial equipment: complex machinery, rendered at true scale, that you could walk around and inspect.
We find it common to explain "3D presentations" in a meeting and get polite nods. However, when someone gets inside a Jig, it clicks. The GBRf team saw heavy machinery at full size in front of them and immediately thought about locomotive cabs.
The GBRf team connected it to crew training before we'd even had a conversation with them. You can talk about spatial computing and 3D presentations all day, but until someone puts on a device and sees industrial equipment at real scale, it's just a concept.
"Their reaction told us this was going to be a real project, not an experiment."
— James Levin, Sales Director at JigSpace
That Apple Store visit turned into a three-year partnership.
The solution
Brad and Jon at GBRf worked with JigSpace to onboard their team, and build a fully interactive, true-to-scale 360° training environment for the Class 99. Using Apple Vision Pro, trainees can explore the locomotive cab and exterior in immersive detail. They identify components, learn their functions, and complete a virtual walk-around, all without leaving their local depot.
The experience replicates what crew would see and interact with in a real locomotive, but from anywhere in the UK. Trainees build familiarity with the cab before they ever step into one, arriving at hands-on sessions ready to apply what they've already practiced.
James Levin, Sales Director at JigSpace, adds: "partnering with the world's most innovative operators to bring spatial computing into real operational environments isn't about experimentation; it's about deploying it now in ways that strengthen entire organisations and move industries forward. GBRf is setting a new standard for immersive training, building on its already impressive track record in safety, training excellence and operational standards."
GBRf is setting a new standard for immersive training
— James Levin, Sales Director at JigSpace
The results
The programme will save GBRf over £500,000 in two years by reducing the need for long-distance travel to Peterborough. But the benefits go beyond cost. Crew get earlier, deeper access to the locomotive than traditional training allows — exploring detailed 3D representations of both the cab interior and key external components at their own pace, from anywhere.
The initial rollout covers the Class 99 fleet. Future phases will expand into operational procedures like train preparation and component-specific training modules, building a library of immersive content that grows with the fleet.
"I'm confident that spatial computing marks the beginning of a very exciting partnership with JigSpace."
— David Golding, Safety and Sustainability Director at GB Railfreight
