In modern railway infrastructure, public address systems have evolved far beyond their traditional role of informing passengers about train arrivals and departures. Today, they have become an integral part of railway operations, traffic management, personnel coordination, and safety management across railway stations and rail corridors.
For railway traffic control and dispatching centres, the ability to centrally manage public address announcements, automatically distribute messages in real time, and integrate public address systems with train control platforms is essential. This approach is embodied in Kontron's (TM Iskratel) railway communication solutions.
Kontron has developed the Real-time Information and Notification System (RINS) — a centralized passenger information and public announcement platform that delivers real-time audio and visual information to both passengers and railway personnel. The system supports centralized message management, automated announcement generation, and seamless integration with other railway information systems.
The solution is based on a modular, scalable architecture, enabling deployment at the level of an individual railway station as well as centralized management of announcements across an entire railway section or nationwide railway network.
The RINS platform provides:
centralized management of public address systems across railway stations;
simultaneous distribution of audio and visual information;
automatic generation of announcements based on data from signalling systems, traffic management systems, and train positioning systems;
support for both pre-recorded and live voice announcements;
integration with LED information boards, TFT/LCD displays, digital passenger information panels, and mobile devices;
simplified administration, centralized monitoring, fault detection, and rapid troubleshooting.
Through integration with train control systems, information regarding platform or track changes, delays, or other operational events can be broadcast automatically without operator intervention, significantly reducing response times while minimizing the risk of human error.
On the Slovenian railway network, the centralized Rail Information and Notification System (RINS) is integrated with signalling and train positioning systems. Upon receiving train movement data, the system automatically broadcasts pre-recorded announcements at the appropriate station according to the timetable. Announcements can be delivered in multiple languages, while the corresponding passenger information is simultaneously displayed on digital information boards.
According to Kontron documentation, projects implemented for Slovenske železnice also include:
a centralized Passenger Information System (PIS);
integration of public address functionality with dispatching and signalling systems;
SOS emergency call points at railway stations;
modernization of dispatcher workstations to reduce call processing time.
For the Ukrainian railway sector, centralized public address and passenger information systems represent far more than a means of informing passengers.
Such solutions enable operators to:
centrally manage announcements at individual stations or across an entire railway section;
automate the delivery of announcements during timetable changes, service disruptions, emergencies, or other operational incidents;
provide timely information to passengers and railway personnel without delays;
integrate public address systems with dispatch communications, signalling, traffic management systems, and other digital railway services;
modernize existing infrastructure gradually without requiring complete replacement of legacy systems.
As Ukraine continues to modernize its railway infrastructure and integrate it into the European transport network, the implementation of centralized public address and passenger information systems will contribute to enhanced operational safety, improved passenger information services, and more efficient traffic management.
As the official and exclusive authorized partner of Kontron (TM Iskratel) in Ukraine, ISTEL 3000 provides end-to-end engineering, system integration, deployment, commissioning, and technical support for advanced operational communications, centralized public address and passenger information systems, and digital railway infrastructure solutions tailored to the needs of Ukrainian railway operators.
Sincerely,
ISTEL 3000 Team