HS1 Ltd has announced a three-year contract with OpenSpace Group Ltd which will allow them to use their innovative technology that allows staff to pinpoint and count every person within St. Pancras Internation and their other stations in a bid to improve passenger flow and experience.

The technology will provide huge benefits in being able to see where every person is within a station and will allow staff members to deal more efficiently with bottlenecks and potential safety issues which are brought about by overcrowding.

The technology provides improvements in accessibility as it will support staff in moving customers who require assistance through stations with greater ease. HS1 Ltd will also be able to analyse busy periods or times of disruption which will offer the chance to improve future station management responses.

The technology also features a ‘what-if’ facility which supports HS1 Ltd to plan and prepare for significant events which could affect passenger movements such as maintenance or special events like the forthcoming Platinum Jubilee Weekend.

Jay Newton, Head of Stations, Engineering, and Operations for HS1 Ltd, said: “Being able to provide our operational team with the data they need to ensure customers receive the best station experience is a clear objective of HS1 Ltd.

“Through this technology, we’ll be able to deliver on that, once again showcasing HS1 Ltd’s innovative streak within the rail sector as it pushes to improve passenger benefits at all points of their journey.”

Nicolas LeGlatin, CEO of OpenSpace Group, said: “The OpenSpace Group’s team are grateful for the partnership with HS1 and Network Rail High Speed, and we are excited to be cooperating with such innovative visionary customers in these important steps along with their ambitious digitisation roadmap.

“Whilst COVID-19 isn’t the only driver for this project, it has brought operators a deep sense and recognition of the importance of the movement of people which will accelerate the adoption and enhancement of solutions like OpenSpace.”

HS1 Ltd will use the technology across its stations with the contract to deploy ‘OpenSpace’ signed with OpenSpace Group and Network Rail High Speed managing St Pancras and other HS1 stations. The technology will ensure privacy as people recorded by the system will be represented by a generic figure and does not capture the imagery of people’s faces.

Marking a key moment, the technology sees the development of greater digital solutions to support the improvement of customer experience in train stations and is part of GBR’s ‘customer first’ vision for the future of railways with the passenger placed as the central focus for future innovation within the rail industry.