UK: South Western Railway is testing the use of CCTV cameras, AI technology from PoS Insights and onboard wi-fi from Icomera to produce continuous estimates of passenger numbers on its Siemens Desiro EMU cars.
The operator has plans for the data to be made available in real-time via its app and website to help passengers to maintain social distancing and deter overcrowding.
‘In addition to helping maintain social distancing, and improving customer comfort and convenience, we hope to use this enhanced information to inform decision making in our control room, and further improve the punctuality and reliability of our services’, said SWR’s Commercial Director Peter Williams.
CEO of PoS Insights John Price said ‘with our technology already in use across many of the UK’s railway stations, working with SWR and Icomera to bring the technology onboard trains is not only an industry first, but also a significant milestone for improving customer experience and further enhancing the rail network’.
