diff --git a/run_simulation.py b/run_simulation.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..bb9e6307ad9a876a17eeb85c4d9e0fe48d2034ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run_simulation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import json
+import nest
+import os
+import sys
+
+from config import data_path
+from multiarea_model import MultiAreaModel
+
+label = sys.argv[1]
+network_label = sys.argv[2]
+fn = os.path.join(data_path,
+                  label,
+                  '_'.join(('custom_params',
+                            label,
+                           str(nest.Rank()))))
+with open(fn, 'r') as f:
+    custom_params = json.load(f)
+
+os.remove(fn)
+
+M = MultiAreaModel(network_label,
+                   simulation=True,
+                   sim_spec=custom_params['sim_params'])
+M.simulation.simulate()