China has been in the leading position in high-speed railway development around the world, with over 18,000 kilometers high-speed railway in operation and over 350 kilometers per hour average speed.
High-speed railway is developing in an unprecedented speed in China as well across the world. Millions of passengers are rushing into all these new high-speed railway stations that have just been built. How to keep these huge crowds in organized has always been a challenge to rail station operators. Digital signage, with such a diversity on public information publish method and passenger information system, has been proven to be the most effective way to guide passengers in large traffic hub like high-speed railway station.
Through cooperation with some leading media operators in China, Betvis has successfully deployed thousands of digital signage terminals in some brand new high-speed railway stations across China, including those visited by the largest passenger flow every year, like Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, Beijing South Railway Station, Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, etc.
Challenges in Hankou Railway Station
Hankou Railway Station is one of the largest high-speed railway stations in Central China, with peak passenger flow volume over 110,000 per day, meanwhile also being famous with its spectacular classic European style buildings and first class modern facilities. Ever since its reconstruction in 2010, its passenger flow volume has increased magnificently every year. In the past, the station relied on an information publish system built on static signs, light boxes, billboards and posts. While this system has becoming more and more inefficient as the crowd expanded. The local media operator saw this crisis as an opportunity to upgrade the whole system, and got a complete digital signage solution from Betvis. More than 200 screens were installed within 2 weeks after the management platform was created and tested well.
84 inch super-large LCD kiosk
What was required by the railway station is not normal digital signage on the wall. These are exceptional large ones, 84 inches in diagonal, standing on both sides of the departure gates.
Although there are so many digital signage manufacturers in China, very few of them have the capability to produce large kiosk like these, let alone a large batch of them. Betvis’s proven capability is well known by the local media operator. Therefore, they spent no time on hesitation to decide to order these kiosks from Betvis.
Comprehensive Information Publish System
Based on experiences on similar projects for railway station and the digital signage system run in the airport in the city of Wuhan, from the very beginning, Betvis devoted itself to construct a perfect matching information publish system for Hankou Station. 84 inch floor standing kiosks are deployed at hallways and departure gates, mainly for playing commercial advertisements and promotions, while some of them can be used for way finding as well. Ultra-wide LCD monitors are fixed on waiting hall pillars and ceiling, or on the top of the floor standing kiosks, dedicated to display train timetable and station announcements. All screens are included in an integrated information system, allowing them to deliver emergency messages or alerts when necessary. Some popular TV shows can be displayed on some of the screens, as an effort to keep passengers entertained and reduce their perceived waiting time. All ADs are updating from the server run by the media operator, guaranteeing high quality image and smooth playing. The train timetable data and passenger information are updating from Hankou Railway Station, ensuring real time timetable and accurate information, while at the meantime, guaranteeing data to be safe and complete.
After a test run for one week, the whole system turned out to be running smoothly. System administrators from both railway station and media operator were learning quickly, handling the management very well. Now they are looking for more possibilities in creating communications with passengers via social media, store discount coupon and third-party QR codes. Since the system is open, all these possibilities can come into reality without any great effort. Hopefully passengers will get more amazing experience very soon when they pass through Hankou railway station.
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