UK: Atos Origin has completed its trial of ‘intelligent’ CCTV at Sheffield station (RG 11.07 p730). Working in association with station operator East Midlands Trains and its predecessor Midland Main Line, the company provided an integrated CCTV network capable of offering more functionality than conventional systems.
One of the system’s major advantages is that it can be used as a real-time tool for both station security and passenger information purposes, rather than as an archive of forensic data to be sifted. The system allows staff to detect patterns of movement by people around the station and prioritises those that may have implications for security — for example, people standing too close to the platform edge or circulating in areas of the station not intended for passengers.
According to Tony Lacy, Head of Rail at Atos Origin, one future application of intelligent CCTV could be passenger-counting, which would provide data for infrastructure managers to use when analysing throughput or when planning station upgrades and rebuilding projects. Atos Origin is examining possible future deployment of similar systems across the UK network.