Approaches, technologies and importance of analysis of the number of train travellers

Figures & data

Table 1. Summary of studied technologies and approaches for ridership measurement.

Indicator on ridership	Source	Part of trip	Data owner	Strength	Weakness
Manual counts	On-board personnel	Single point measure	Transport service operators	Established	Requires manual resources varying accuracy
Surveys	Questionnaires	Tailored	Client conducting survey	Can be tailored to collect an array of information	Requires manual resources. Cannot measure continuously
Passing of doors	Automatic logging of door passing	Entry and exit numbers	Transport service operators	Accurate	Cost of installation. Only a part of vehicle fleet typically has equipment
Vehicle weight	Rolling stock control system	Number of people continuously	Transport service operators	No additional equipment (on new trains). Need not identify individuals	Requires that weight measure is already installed.
Video counting	On-board CCTV	Number of people continuously	Transport service operators	No additional equipment (if already installed).	Requires that CCTV is already installed.
Ticket sales	Sales data	Origin- destination on single tickets. Main entry and exit for monthly tickets	Transport service sales organisation	Need no additional equipment	Business sensitive. Difficult to identify individual trips using periodic tickets
Ticket use	Ticket validation equipment	Entry and exit stations	Transport service sales organisation	Identifies individual trips, possibly both entry and exit	Requires ticket validation equipment
Wi-Fi use	No. of units logged on to train Wi-Fi	Number of units connected, continuously	Transport service operators	No additional equipment (if already installed).	Measures only users of Wi-Fi
Proximity sensing	Bluetooth recognition	Number of units passing	One who has access and authority to place equipment	Flexible location	Identifies only mobile units with enabled Bluetooth
Train operator smartphone app	Travel detection (GPS etc.)	Location of unit	Transport service operators	Need no additional equipment	Measures only app users
Mobile base station data	Mobile network operator	Units connected to base station, and movement in network	Mobile telephone network operator	Need no direct access to train or railway network	Little experience. Personal privacy. Separate logs for each network
Payment statistics	Payment transactions in connection to travel	Movements between points of commercial activity	Payment transaction manager	Need no direct access to train or railway network	Indirect measurement of ridership

Figure 1. Illustration of travel patterns.