A tracking solution along the travel chain gives railway companies valuable insights into the travel behavior of their customers. Furthermore, passengers receive access to real-time information and other beneficial services around their journey.
AT A GLANCE
- indoor and outdoor tracking
- services for passengers
PROBLEM DEFINITION
It is difficult for railway operators to provide customers with the best offers and services when they don’t understand the travelers’ behavior.
SOLUTION
A tracking solution and an app for passengers enable identifying individual travel profiles while protecting the privacy of customers at all times.
The whole journey of travelers, from leaving their home to arriving at their final destination, can be tracked seamlessly outside and within buildings. Besides capturing position data, the means of transport (walking, bicycle, car, public transport) that is used for a certain part of the journey can be identified. In this way, railway operators obtain a holistic insight into the travel profiles of their customers and can understand their behavior better. The collected data reveals, for example, optimization potential regarding train connections. Additionally, better targeted marketing activities can be realized based on information about the routes that were taken within the stations and how long people stayed at particular places.
Via an app, customers can access relevant services concerning their journey. For example, real-time information about delays is sent to the passengers via push notifications. Also, since getting on and off a train is recognized automatically, an automated ticketing solution can be realized. This increases comfort and minimizes costs for travelers.
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
A requirement for the tracking solution is that customers install an app on their smartphones.
On the way to and from the railway station, the position of travelers is determined using GPS. Inside the stations and trains, Bluetooth Low Energy beacons are installed. Smartphones in proximity receive their signals and the position is determined directly on the smartphone. By comparing position and timetable data, the traveled routes can be recorded completely.
Moreover, the collected data can be sent to the infsoft LocAware platform® where it is intelligently processed and analyzed.
