Passenger Information Systems (PIS)

bk

I thought I'd create a specific thread for people to discuss passenger information systems (PIS). These are systems which show the next stop, etc. on displays inside a bus, tram, train, etc. and also usually announce stops via audio announcements.

This is an example of a traditional one on Dublin Bus:

Note from the excellent https://www.dublinbusstuff.com/PhotoWeek/GTClass.html

https://www.tiktok.com/%40lovindublin/video/7464615577496145174

The new one on the new EW class:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy1604MGk5A

The new ones on Bus Eireann:

https://www.keybuses.com/article/long-way-tipperary

bk

New ones coming on the new DART+ trains:

https://www.thejournal.ie/new-electric-battery-dart-trains-dublin-irish-rail-6367468-Apr2024/

From an excellent article about the new trains:

https://irishcycle.com/2024/11/13/images-an-in-depth-look-at-first-new-dart-train/

p_haugh

What do the displays look like on the EWDs? I presume the displays themselves are the same but not sure if the UI is different. Shame the PAs received the old style dublin bus display but the PADs got the proper BE displays.

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123642949#Comment_123642949

Brilliant question. I haven't had the pleasure of being on an EWD yet. However I found this video and it looks like it shows the usual superior BE interface. So that is a very interesting observation. The DB EW and BE EWD have the same screens, but BE have an excellent information on their screen, while the DB one is relatively poor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfMmg7UHXoA

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123642981#Comment_123642981

Found another video showing the screen upstairs, seems BE have stuck with the same size screen rather than the wider screen as on the Dublin Bus EWs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unN1J7YGjHc

bk

So for those who haven't been on a BE bus like the ones in Cork, let me explain when their screens are so much better.

They don't just show you the next stop, but the next 4 stops, the time to those stops (less useful for city services, but great for limited stop services), the route you are on and the time.

But the most important point is they never change, they only change when they pass a stop obviously, but they are always on and you can just glance up at them to see if your stop is coming at any time.

By comparison the ones on the DB EW are weird, they not only show only the next stop, but often the screen goes blank white as it is driving along and then other times it displays other messages like "Use The Handrail" as you see in the above picture, rather then the next stop. All of this results in my experience that it often never even gets a chance to display the next stop before it has already passed the stop!

Looking at the above pictures, it is clear that they are just taking the output of the more limited older dot matrix type displays on older buses and just blowing it up on the larger LED screens on the new EW.

I would love to see DB (and GAI I assume) adopt BE's interface for the EW and newer classes.

devnull

Is there any plans for the Newer Irish Rail displays on the Tokyu DARTs to actually display something more than they actually do? They seem to just display the next stop and the destination which is very basic to be honest. Surely they could say something more?

The same with the newer Irish Rail station displays, they just seem to be literally displaying the same basic information as the older displays they replaced which seems a waste really?

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123643050#Comment_123643050

Interestingly one of the displays seems to show the number of passengers on each carriage and the location of the bike carriage, which I think is very useful info.

But I agree while the screens are big and bright and nice looking, the information they display looks fairly limited. Hopefully though that was just an early static display and perhaps it can be improved before launch.

AX636

Would it not have anything to do with the AVL systems on the buses as BE have something like the ibus system and DB and GAI have a completely different system. Just a guess, I did hear that the systems where going to be changed so you never know.

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123643294#Comment_123643294

I have no idea, but it sounds like a very good and likely guess.

What I'm wondering is will the Next Gen AVL project include replacing all equipment on buses and standardise between both DB and BE (and GAI) or is it just backend systems?