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Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) recently installed a light-rail vehicle simulator at its Houston rail operations center.

Supplied by Arotech Corp. subsidiary FAAC Inc., the MR-2000 simulator — the first such simulator to be used in the transit industry, according to a prepared statement — features computer-generated imagery.

The $490,000 simulator mimics the front portion of METRO’s light-rail vehicle and provides operators a 225-degree panoramic view.

FAAC and METRO are developing computer-based training products to complement the simulator, including desktop simulators and software tools that the agency can use to construct new track alignments and training scenarios. The software would be designed to simulate weather, traffic, pedestrians, signals, switches and malfunctions.