The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will place Queensland on the world stage, with millions of visitors and global media attention.
The event is not just about two weeks of sport. It holds significance in terms of the state’s economy, global profile, and legacy.
With all eyes on Queensland, it has to get it right – and that means having the appropriate infrastructure and technology in place to get people where they need to go to efficiently, without it resulting in chaos.
It also means investing in transport solutions that are going to serve Queensland’s growing population before, during and after the games – and the time for action is now.
We spoke to Paul Warren, Sales Director at real-time passenger information company KeTech, for his insights.
Smart solutions
To adequately serve the needs of passengers at the Olympics and beyond, Brisbane’s rail network is going to need to be as smart and connected as possible.
KeTech’s solutions support the passenger journey – not just at stations and on-board trains, but as early as when they step off a flight, or into their hotel lobby and see a screen informing them of when and where they can catch the next train to their destination. Its Customer Information Systems or CIS turn stations into intelligent hubs that keep passengers connected, but it’s also available as a web version that can be shown on any device with access to the internet.
“For an event like the Olympics, the whole environment needs to be considered,” said Warren.
“That means stations as well as trains, bus and tram interchanges and airports, but also event venues, hotels, bars and cafes.
“Having real-time information readily available to customers means there’s less crowding and people waiting around at stations long before they need to be there.”
Meanwhile, KeTech’s Passenger Information Systems or PIS transform a train from a mode of transport into a real-time, enhanced travel experience.
It provides passengers with accurate, up-to-the-second information, on seat availability, station stops, service changes, and onward multimodal connections so they can make better informed decisions, faster and easier.
When it comes to the Olympics, Warren said the benefits of reliable real-time information extend far beyond managing overcrowding.
“Reliable real-time passenger information means passengers get where they need to go as smoothly as possible, improving the customer experience,” he said. “It also boosts operational efficiency, requiring minimal input from station staff and train crew.
“With reducing crowding, there also comes safety and security benefits – especially when navigating unfamiliar journeys, allowing everyone to get back home or to their accommodation safely.
“If you achieve all the above, it’s great PR (public relations) for operators and the event organisers.”
Transport for everyone
Accessibility is always paramount in transport, but even more so for an event such as the Olympic and Paralympic games.
Warren said it’s critical to take a broad view of accessibility considerations at a high level in the planning stages of an event, applying these individually to each station.
“It’s so important for everyone to be included and be able to make the most of the games,” he said. “Accessibility means different things for everyone. It’s as broad as the operators or transport authorities want to play it.”
Warren said KeTech has vast experience tailoring customer information to different contexts, so once a client decides on the outcomes they want, it can deploy its technology to realise those outcomes in the smartest way.
“That might be digital signage for more accessible routes, or using icons to overcome multilingual variances,” he said.
“Using a consistent approach to digital signage across multiple routes and stations allows both travellers and station staff to interpret key points of information ‘at a glance’ to support journeys.”
For the best outcome for all passengers, Warren said different information systems should be integrated across the rail environment, which is where KeTech’s Universal Information System or UIS comes in.
“We are very passionate about joining all these information assets and technologies together with a single control system,” he said.
“That’s a good reason why our Universal Information System was designed to be modular, to adopt different and new technologies and data feeds for a richer information outcome.
“This unification is so critical to enabling operators to provide accurate, consistent, real-time information in context of wherever or whenever it is required.”
From legacy to the everyday
Warren said it’s essential that Queensland starts the planning process for the Olympics as early as possible, to ensure a smooth and successful event.
“While 2032 seems like a while away, there will be a lot of stations, routes and multimodal interchanges that will all need to be reviewed and planning for how they will support the flow of people for the games,” he explained.
“There will be pressure to pull everything together in time for such a prestigious event.”
Another key pressure will be budget constraints – and operators and transport authorities will need to ensure they are investing in solutions that will support passengers before, during and long after the games.
“The investments made for the Olympics will need to remain current and adapt to the day-to-day needs of the commuter and leisure travellers,” said Warren.
“We have all walked past sad-looking assets around travel hubs that are either displaying out of date or out of context information or are just switched off.
“This is generally about ease of management, as they are remote assets, then they become an effort to control and update.”
Warren said having a central point of control for disparate assets is a core benefit of deploying KeTech’s UIS.
“Once accessibility is part of the system, maintaining this becomes easier when it’s a key part of the operational process, and having UIS underpins this.”
He added that while Brisbane 2032 is a significant event for Queensland, there are major events happening across Australia all the while, and the principles of KeTech’s vision can and should ripple through to all operators.
“I hope that the Brisbane Olympic Games are executed so effectively that they create model operating processes that other areas will aspire and adapt to.”
