Enable ID announces Chiltern Railways collaboration

R Sahota Posted On July 13, 2016

Digital way-finding start-up, Enable ID, has announced an innovative trial in collaboration with Chiltern Railways on its London to Birmingham trains.

The initiative, due to launch early next year, is set to transform the travel experiences of thousands of passengers by equipping trains with sensors able to communicate a range of useful information en route to the station and while on board a train. The sensors will indicate, in real time, the location of available seats, the current temperature in each carriage and, where relevant, the on-board catering status along with real time train running information.

The sensor data will be part of Enable ID’s MyJrny platform; a new intelligent mobility system linking transport operators with customers via the apps they use to get around.

Enable ID is one of 20 start-ups currently on Innovation Birmingham’s Serendip Smart City Incubator; a programme which co-locates promising start-up businesses with large commercial partners. Based on the first floor of the Campus’ new 42,149 sq ft iCentrum building, the commercial partners help to mentor qualifying early stage tech companies and may, in turn, become customers or distribution channels for the start-ups.

This pilot project is match funded by the Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) Train Operator Challenge 2015 (TOC’15) competition, and Chiltern’s parent company Arriva has fully supported the project with a view to potentially rolling out the approach to other franchises if successful.

Chris Thompson, Chief Strategy Officer at Enable ID, said: “We are enabling personalised real-time travel forecasts containing information for all modes of transport to be delivered by operators, whilst preserving their customers’ privacy. By using ‘in-transit’ sensors in this way, Chiltern Railways is leading the public transport sector and the pilot will add an industry-defining element to the MyJrny platform.”

Paul Bowden, Acting Commercial Director for Chiltern Railways, said: “This pilot project seeks to test how we can transform and personalise passenger journeys. The innovation allows customers to arrive for their train better informed and able to make better use of their time both at the station and on-board. Improving the service we provide our customers is central to everything we do and this project increases our engagement with passengers and enhances the service we deliver.”