Delivering Real-Time Status and Arrival Information to Commuter Rail Passengers at Complex Stations

摘要

Software was developed for calculating real-time train status in an Automated Train Information Display System (ATIDS) at NJ Transit. Interfaces were developed for passing schedules and real-time train position and routing data from a rail traffic control system (CTC) to the ATIDS equipment. The technology was integrated into a fully automated multi-track display and annunciation system and successfully demonstrated at NJ Transit in 1997. Operational tests revealed that the quality of the data received from the rail traffic control system was insufficient for passenger information purposes. Often, the CTC system knew that a train was present (sufficient for train dispatch purposes), but not which train it was (required for passenger information). Lessons learned were incorporated into the design of NJ Transit's next generation of rail dispatch systems. To address the issue of customer requirements for real-time information, market research was conducted with a series of 9 focus groups comprised of both frequent and infrequent riders. It was found that many of the transit industry's most common display formats contain information of no value to customers, that information was often being provided in a needlessly cumbersome manner, and that several of the customers' more critical information needs have not yet been considered by the industry.