- Moving maps
- Train schedule information
- Information regarding destinations
- Connecting bus routes
- Taxi information
- On-board locations of the buffet cart, toilets etc.
- Ordering food via an online menu.
Building in third party information and services is also a great opportunity to add value. Partnering with local businesses (near destination stations) can create greater exposure for both parties. For example, they may provide passengers with the information of a local taxi service when the train is within a set radius of the station.
Accessibility
An additional benefit of using the Engage Portal is the opportunity to provide extra assistance to passengers who have special requirements.
An additional benefit of using the Engage Portal is the opportunity to provide extra assistance to passengers who have special requirements. For example, it allows the opportunity to present accessible services for people with hearing or visual impairments. A passenger who is visually impaired would benefit from an audio guide and a passenger with audio impairments would be better able to read announcements via a web page. Furthermore, the train operator can use different languages within their Engage Portal, as an audio announcement service may only use one or a few languages. This allows passengers with hearing impairments or passengers who do not speak the local language to follow the announcement.
Equally important, the Engage Portal allows the train operator to provide their passengers with tailored information regarding the destination of their station. For instance, they can provide wheelchair accessibility points and communicate to the station; if a wheelchair ramp will be required.
Entertainment
A train or bus journey can be a great opportunity to do some reading, catch up on a TV show, or even watch a movie.
A train or bus journey can be a great opportunity to do some reading, catch up on a TV show, or even watch a movie. Static media (newspapers, magazines, audiobooks) can be updated periodically by the vehicle operator and provided to their passengers in an offline format. This benefits the passenger by providing a better viewing experience and improving internet connectivity as the available bandwidth is not used up streaming media. This also has financial benefits for the train operator in reduced data charges. For example, daily newspapers can be electronically updated in the morning and fed in an offline format to passengers, throughout the day.
Rail entertainment can improve passenger experience by providing an extensive library of premium media content, including:
- Movies
- TV series
- Documentaries
- Music.
Premium media content is encrypted via a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system to ensure that is cannot be copied. Displaying this type of media requires trusted systems with appropriate keys to unlock the media. The Nomad Digital Engage Portal comes equipped with a DRM application which is accepted by a wide range of global media providers. This provides the technology to unlock media on the vehicle, allowing the transport operator to stream offline hand-selected movies to their passengers.
Transport operators can further enrich their passenger’s experience by integrating their video-based media with their moving map. For example, this would allow them to play informative videos when they pass certain landmarks or destinations.
Special thanks go to Nomad Digital’s technical expert, Paul Vaclik, for supporting this article.
Sam Taylor is Nomad Digital’s Marketing Campaigns and Content Executive. Sam joined Nomad in February 2020 and has a BA Hons in Advertising.
