SNCF adopts Social Distancing Supervision at train stations, powered by Smart Flows

Passenger tracking and crowd monitoring have never been so critical. Not only do train stations need to restore passenger trust, but it is crucial that all high-density gatherings and all crowds are specifically monitored in this critical COVID-19 context.

Smart Flows has announced the release of new software to monitor live passenger density within train stations; ensuring safer passenger travels and regulation compliancy.

Smart Flows tracks passenger flows in train stations. Refined knowledge of stations topography and meticulous configuration of each station map in the system makes it possible for the software to provide live passenger density measurements that are significantly more accurate in comparison to when human counting or camera monitoring. Unlike costly technologies, Smart Flows covers 100 per cent of train stations, from entry to exit, a benefit that no alternative system could ever provide.

The Social Distancing Supervision supports train stations business continuity during COVID-19, and the recovery period, by monitoring the real-time density of all areas within a station. In case an area gets too crowded and population density reaches pre-set train station thresholds (for instance, four square metres per passenger) actions as sending staff to smoothly spread out passengers or restocking hydroalcoholic gel provision can immediately be taken.

For a few years now, the French railway stations operator, Gares & Connexions, has used Smart Flows solution to manage passenger flows within French stations. Smart Flows has released its new social distancing features to Gares & Connexions a few days before the end of the French lock-down in early May 2020. 

Since then, the national crisis unit that manages the unlocking for the stations network has been monitoring densities on Smart Flows Software Suite and more specifically on the uniquely ergonomic and intuitive WebApp.

Gares & Connexions operating staff (station managers, regional directors, centres opérationnels d’escale – the flow control towers) use Smart Flows data to supervise the flows in each train station.

SNCF’s top management leverages Smart Flows key indicators to communicate on the unlocking in train stations to the public.

How do Gare & Connexions take full benefit of Smart Flows software suite?

Social Distancing Supervision features users range from SNCF CEO, all SNCF Direction Committee members to operating staff managing the business recovery daily.

More generally, Smart Flows assists train stations in the key upcoming business recovery period:

Smart Flows enables a better resource allocation (for example, adapting staff to traffic forecast) and a better decision-making process by providing a unique dataset for many stakeholders in the stations’ management staff allowing an internal cross-business units conversation that has never happened before.

On health-related matters and besides social distancing monitoring, Smart Flows supports stations efficient and dynamic cleaning when the need is triggered by the actual traffic in each area.

Smart Flows is a great asset to quantify and qualify passenger experience: Overall time spent in the station, identification of positive time spent in retail and F&B versus negative time spent queuing are native indicators with Smart Flows solution.

When preparing stations business recovery, think efficient, think Smart Flows.