Eurailmag - #15 - March 2007 - (Page 44)

Services BELGIAN STATIONS OFFER AUTOMATIC ANNOUNCEMENTS TO KEEP PASSENGERS BETTER INFORMED INFRABEL*, THE BELGIAN RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGER, IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING ITS PIDAAS PROJECT. THIS SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE PASSENGERS AT ALL BELGIAN RAILWAY STATIONS WITH REAL-TIME INFORMATION ON ANY CHANGES OR DELAYS WITH AUTOMATIC AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. announcements in real-time - across the whole of the Belgian rail network. This system, which operates both the announcement boards and the station’s audio system, will be connected to the signalling and traffic management systems. Trains will be monitored in real-time and generate automatic announcements during their journeys. The system will also be connected to the timetable database: it can detect any disruptions (change of platform, delays, cancellations, etc.) and automatically deliver announcements based on this information. Announcers will continue to play a key role by operating the system, e.g., they can trigger a series of automatic announcements, and so spend more time on value-added information. For example, they can play a proactive role by offering passengers value-added messages, such as suggesting alternative solutions to problems. PIDAAS is a great improvement on the present system - it provides all passengers with detailed and reliable information, in real-time and nationwide. When a train is delayed at one station, all the affected stations will broadcast the same announcement at the same time. © INFRABEL Signal box at Brussels-midi station All Belgian stations equipped with high quality audio systems In 2004, Infrabel launched a vast programme to equip all of Belgium's stopping points and stations with audio equipment. A total of 146 stops were equipped with a new complete audio system between 2004 and 2006: 81 stops in 2004, 57 in 2005 and 8 in 2006. Now, the whole Belgian network of 536 stations and stopping points has high quality audio systems in place. These are connected to the signal boxes where announcers are based, so that passengers are kept directly informed of any delays or changes to their train timetables. This upgrading involved major works such as installing cabling, loudspeakers and amplifiers at the stopping points. Access to the central data transmission network was also provided to connect each stopping point to the station where the announcer operates. In addition to this modernisation of the infrastructure, all announcers were trained to use the new equipment. Initially, the audio equipment will only be used for traffic disruptions. Systematic use (when each train arrives at the station) is not yet possible, but will be introduced during a later phase of the project. This major project to install audio systems at every stop or station, into which Infrabel has invested €7.3 million, is, in fact, only the first phase of a more ambitious project - PIDAAS - to provide a better standard of information for Belgian railway customers. Automatic announcements in realtime Belgium’s rail infrastructure manager is currently extending the PIDAAS project Passenger Information Display and Audio Announcement System - to provide automatic Coordinated, high-quality audio and visual announcements The visuals on display boards at stations and on platforms will also be operated by PIDAAS. © INFRABEL Time display on platform Issue 15 EURAILmag Business & Technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Eurailmag - #15 - March 2007

SOMMAIRE
NOTICE BOARD
COATINGS
NEWS
SERVICES
INFRASTRUCTURE
HIGH-SPEED LINES
TUNNELS
PEOPLE
ROLLING STOCK
WEBSITE DIRECTORY

Eurailmag - #15 - March 2007

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