Cash-strapped railways is on its way to exploit its real estate potential. To begin with, it will install large digital signboards across stations to display train-related information which will also be used for commercial advertisements.
Railway Ministry sources said that railways will install about 100,000 large screens across 2000 stations through optical fibre network with a screen in front of each train coach, in concourse, circulating area, foot over bridges, waiting rooms, lounges and every other place that makes sense to the rail users.
“We are planning carving out a new category of mass addressing by putting up large digital signboards for large viewership at the covered and uncovered platforms, open spaces in the entrance and exit areas and the long foot bridges that span across several platforms for
displaying information related to train status round-the-clock using an all-India railway display network (RDN),” said a senior Railway
Ministry official involved in the project.
The information needs of the travelling public pertaining to train arrival and departure times, expected delays, cancellations, route diversions and platform numbers of arrivals and departures of different trains will be displayed on these signboards.
While the needs of passengers will be fulfilled through passenger information system, there will be opportunities for revenue earning through advertisements.
A pilot project will be implemented involving about 10 stations to be followed by a roll-out covering about 2000 stations over two years. The proposed system will ensure there is no cluttering of the content that is of importance to the passengers in tune with the practices at international airports and railway stations.
Current passenger information systems provide information to passengers through lED displays in single colour by making use of National Communication Network. Closed Circuit TVs and lCD Monitors are also being concurrently used for providing information besides, departmental announcements.