A passenger information [display] system (PIDS) is an electronic information system which provides real-time passenger information. It may include both predictions about arrival and departure times, as well as information about the nature and causes of disruptions. It may be used both physically within a transportation hub and remotely using a web browser or mobile device.
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Current operational information on service running is collected from automatic vehicle location systems and from control systems, including incident capture systems. This information can be compared by computers with the published service timetable to generate a prediction of how services will run in the next few minutes to hours.
This may be informed by additional information: for instance, bus services will be affected by congestion on the road network, while all services may be affected by adverse weather conditions.
Information may be delivered via any electronic media, including:
Additional considerations include:
The information provided by a passenger information system depends on its location, and the technical scope (e.g. how big the display screen is)
At a station or stop, it is normal to provide up to date predictions of:
On a vehicle, it is normal to provide up to date predictions of:
Personalised channels (web, mobile device, or kiosk) will normally be set up to mimic the view from a station or stop but may in addition be linked to journey planners. Using such systems a passenger may (re)plan his/her journey to take into account current circumstances (such as cancelled services or excessive delays).
Deutsche Bahn AG offers a Travel Information System (RIS). This shows current train times compared to the published timetable, as well as known delays and expected arrival and departure times of the trains.
This information is made available to the train conductor (via SMS) as well as to the passenger via loudspeaker in the train station or schedule boards on the internet (http://www.bahn.de/ris). The VRR (http://www.vrr.de/de/fahrplanauskunft/index.html) and VRS (http://195.14.241.6/ass/client/vrs/fahrplanauskunft.html) transportation schedule information systems also process RIS data.
The data can also be queried in real-time via mobile terminal devices like PDAs, and mobile phones over WAP and i-mode.
National rail stations are equipped with visual platform displays which indicate the next service or services from the platform. Audio announcements are made to confirm these. Additionally, concourses and ticket offices have large screen displays which show all of the services available at the station for the next hour or more, and (at major stations) the full route of the service and any restrictions applicable (e.g. ticket types, catering services, bicycle carriage). It should be noted that many smaller and less well-used railway stations do not have such systems, but rather have Passenger Help Points which connect the user by telephone to a control room by pushing an "Information" button.
This information is available online at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ and on mobile devices.
London Underground has “Countdown” displays on each platform at each station. These are simpler than the national rail displays as in most cases each platform serves only a single line and there are fewer variations in carriage restrictions. Audio announcements are also made regularly.
Buses are operated by local operating companies but in close partnership with local authorities. Local authorities, and ome transport operators, provide electronic versions of the bus timetables to the Traveline information service which covers all public transport modes, and from there to other information services such as Google Transit and Transport Direct.
The deployment of real-time bus information systems is a gradual process which currently extents to around half of the national fleet and a high proportion of town-centre stops, but relatively few suburban and rural stops.
The first sight of these system was in Brighton and Hove, where the counicl developed them and they were such a success that the UK government gave councils money to invest in this technology. Brighton and Hove operate the best information real time and they are viewable from a long distance - not just in the shelter where most operate from.
The Traveline NextBuses information service provides the next departures from any bus stop in the UK, and some trams as well. This information is real-time where the real-time feed has been connected in, otherwise the scheduled times are given. The convention is to show real-time information as (in x mins) and scheduled information as a time (xx.xx).
A variety of electric services are available through SMS which cover large parts of the UK’s public transport network, and many web sites provide access to information from bus or train real-time systems. Most of this is single-mode.
The Government-sponsored Transport Direct project provides journey planning across all transport modes (including private car) and is increasingly linked to real-time information systems.
Audio announcement (on or off bus) is relatively rare, although London and some metropolitan areas have recently seen significant increases.
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