Veovo launches solution to empower train operators following COVID-19

Veovo has released its Passenger Density Management solution, designed to assist rail and metro operators to measure, understand and manage crowd density, to support social distancing.

COVID-19 lockdowns have resulted in train and rapid transit stations worldwide shut down to only essential services.

With the gradual lifting of restrictions these services can expect to see a significant increase of travellers. However, social distancing is expected to remain as governments mitigate risk around the virus.

Operators will, therefore, need to adopt measures to prevent crowding and ensure everyone has adequate space.

Veovo's solution helps with fluctuating passenger numbers, increased cleaning schedules and other variables, and enables operators to better understand passenger flow and station capacity.

The solution combines data drawn from various sensor technologies, with advanced machine learning and intelligent automation. As a result it gives operators a real time overview of passenger volumes and movements.

Furthermore, it shows how people move into, out of and between stations, average wait times, and even occupancy on trains. It monitors crowd density in specific areas, such as concourse, stairwell, platform and carriage, and can be expanded to provide station-wide density and flow insights.

Operators can use live dashboards and heatmaps, which highlights the degree of risk in real time, based on social distancing recommendations, crowd movement patterns and area size.

Alarms and actions are triggered when threshold limits are reached, enabling rapid responses, like directing passenger flows, closing turnstiles and updating digital signage, among others.

In addition, operators could also improve their sanitation responsiveness, directing teams to where cleaning is most needed. To help passengers plan their journeys, operators can also share data via websites, apps and other platforms.

This information enables travellers to choose a less-crowded station or platform, or alter their travel time to reduce risks and maintain social distance, the company states.

In addition, on a broader scale, with this data to hand operators can even more efficiently tackle the long-standing issue of fare evasion.

Veovo CEO James Williamson says, "Having worked with some of the world's busiest airports, transport hubs and amusement parks, we understand the enormous challenge the industry currently faces in supporting physical distancing.

"To safely manage crowding, operators need accurate, timely data. By accommodating new social distancing needs in our solution, we enable safe and proactive planning to reduce crowds and to make sanitation and disinfection programmes more effective."

The solution is quick to deploy. According to the company, it can provide detailed insights within weeks to allow operators to adapt plans to meet fluctuating traveller numbers and evolving safety guidelines.