Transilien SNCF line users are now used to these screens, which display in real time the affluence of the next trains, car by car, according to three levels: low, medium or high. A system gradually deployed in the midst of the pandemic and generalised from May 2023 all lines H, J, K, L, N, R, a large part of line P, but also some RER D and E trains equipped with "counting" trains. These are equipped with infrared sensors under each door to count the number of passengers boarding and alighting.
A total of 1,700 screens have now been installed in over 200 stations. But while Olympic Games are going to test the robustness of public transport in Île-de-France, Île-de-France Mobilités and Transilien SNCF Voyageurs have decided to extend the service to RER B, D and Eand at certain RER C stops serving Olympic venues. In all, some forty additional stations, including the strategically important Stade de France.
The advantage of this real-time indication of passenger numbers - which is also available on the Île-de-France Mobilités website and app, or on the transilien.com website - is obvious. By giving passengers a way of seeing which carriages are least crowded and of position themselves on the platform accordinglyThis means that trains can be parked more quickly in stations, with less risk of crowding or overcrowding at peak times. As a result, train parking times at stations are optimised, the risk of crowding or overcrowding is reduced during rush hour and, conversely, it is reassuring to travel in the company of other passengers during off-peak hours. 91 % of passengers consider this service to be useful, with 42% stating that they have changed their position on the platform thanks to this information.
But the extension of this passenger information to RER B, D and E also involves the use of new technology. This technology will no longer be based on sensors - these trains are not equipped with them - but on based on artificial intelligence and a system of cameras installed on the platforms. Developed by Transilien SNCF Voyageurs in partnership with the start-up company Affluences, and financed by Île-de-France Mobilités, this technology makes it possible to instantly assess the level of load on board the trains, by carriage. The information is sent to Transilien's IT systems when the train leaves its stop, so that it can be displayed up to date on the platforms of the next stations. While a passenger may very well climb through a door and go and sit down further on, the artificial intelligence model has been trained to understand the usual movements of passengers inside the trains and thus correct the counts made at the doors.
