Finland is now also ahead of the rest of the world by a length in terms of passenger information in rail transport. This is made possible by innovative technology from Funkwerk. The technology specialists from Funkwerk have developed a customised, multilingual information system which now ensures reliable announcements and displays in real time at some 200 Finnish railway stations and in the operations control centres of the Finnish Trafic Agency.

"As the epitome of modern communication technology, Finland is a key reference for us, helping us to underline our lead in the global market for passenger information systems in rail transport. The system now in operation will improve the service for travellers, but also increase the flexibility and cost efficiency of providing information in the operations control centres," said Dr Manfred Schmidt, Managing Director of Funkwerk.

Positive customer reactions and lower costs

Almost 200 stations were gradually equipped with Funkwerk's new system. Throughout the country, Finnish railway passengers are now updated in real time with information on the current timetable and rail traffic situation. Initial reactions of passengers to the new information system (MIKU) have been highly positive.

But passengers are not the only ones to benefit. Administrators and staff at the operations control centres throughout the country have also come to know and appreciate the advantages of MIKU. "MIKU and all its functionalities considerably increase the degree of automation in operation. The new software relieves the administrators of a great deal of the daily routine. This allows us room to provide passengers with information in the best possible quality. For us in Finland, key features of Funkwerk's system include its multilingual capacity and its flexibility. This enables us to integrate new features without friction," said senior inspector Kimmo Turunen from Finnish Trafic Agency on the customer side in summary of the advantages for.the train passengers.

For Funkwerk, MIKU is currently the most extensive individual installation of the new information system. "It has shown that we are able with our management software to deliver a scalable, customised solution in individual stations as much as for the entire railway information network," Dr. Manfred Schmidt emphasised.