Connectivity
Networked trains can make
mobile ticketing the standard,
saving potentially large amounts
in paper, printer and ink costs
Mark Carter, GlobalReach Technology
LEFT: Hotspot 2.0
automatically configures
the wi-fi settings and
encryption for devices
ANNUAL SHOWCASE 2019 Railway Interiors International 27
THE POWER OF ADVERTISING
Research conducted in 2018 by out-of-home (OOH) media
agency Kinetic and media owner Exterion Media, in
partnership with the Centre for Business and Economics
Research (Cebr) concluded that commuters’ habit
of shopping on mobile devices contributes £22.8bn
(€25.5bn/US$28.4bn) to the UK economy per year.
The typical weekly spend for UK commuters is £89
(€99/US$109), rising to £153 (€171/US$187) a week in
London. Nearly half (43%) of commuters nationally said
they made a purchase whilst commuting at least four
times a month. The research also uncovered that 70%
of commuters made a purchase as a result of advertising
seen on their journeys. Respondents (23% in London, 18%
in other parts of the UK) said that outdoor advertising
seen on their commute often reminded them to shop.
“Our research shows that in today’s age of time-poor
consumers, the everyday commute is fast becoming a
valuable opportunity to make purchases,” says Stuart
Taylor, CEO of Kinetic. “At a time when footfall is declining
on our high streets, these findings confirm that retailers
can nevertheless reach a valuable urban audience in a
physical environment. With OOH advertising acting as the
link between online and offline retail and reaching 98%
of consumers nationally, it’s an opportunity that retailers
cannot afford to ignore. Moreover, advancements in OOH
technology mean that brands can serve commuters with
dynamic creative based on environmental factors such
as weather, location and time of day – remaining hyperrelevant
even when offline and out of store.”
on trains, buses and trams. “This technology
has the ability to transform public transport in
every corner of the country, from rural buses to
city centre train stations,” says Karen Boswell,
managing director of Hitachi Rail in the UK.
“The common travelling woes of queues at
ticket machines or trying to find the cheapest
fare could be solved without even needing to
reach for your pocket. We are now beginning
to test this technology and are looking at
the possibility of one app working across
large stretches of a country. For example, a
passenger could use the app to take a bus in
their local town and a train elsewhere in the
country all in one day.”
Stock control
Connectivity could also improve the process
of selling food, drinks and other goods on
board – enabling operatives to easily take
orders and money from travellers and deliver
the goods to their seats. Moreover, the data
generated by understanding what consumers
are buying means that better and more efficient
stock control can be brought to bear.
connect automatically and securely. This means
all wi-fi users can consistently get the kind of
experience they get with 4G and 5G outside the
train, when in range of a hotspot, says Carter.
“Most hardware is already Hotspot 2.0 ready –
GlobalReach first deployed this technology in
2014. Integration is straightforward via changes
to the wi-fi network configuration.”
Revenue opportunities
Spending money on onboard technologies –
not to mention the cellular backhaul needed to
connect each train – might be hard for some to
justify based just on customer benefit, but the
investment can have some interesting spin-offs.
“Networked trains can make mobile ticketing
the standard, saving potentially large amounts
in paper, printer and ink costs,” says Carter.
There could also be savings on the station
side. Train builder Hitachi is working to
develop sensor technology that maps peoples’
smartphone journeys – using an app – so
that they can board trains without having to
use barriers. The firm is testing the system in
northern Italy and believes it could be used