Staff safety and customer service will be boosted across Sydney’s rail network with
the deployment of SafeZone, the industry-leading safety, security and emergency management solution from CriticalArc.
The ground-breaking technology will enable Sydney Trains to manage a wide range of situations, including mitigating risks to staff and customers and strengthening the capacity to respond to incidents and emergencies across the network. For example, SafeZone will put up to 2,500 of Sydney Trains’ front-line staff directly in touch with security control room teams, letting them summon immediate assistance at the touch of a button.
The investment in SafeZone will cover over 175 stations across the greater Sydney area and is the latest step in a modernisation drive to transform Sydney Trains’ operations, with more than a million customer journeys taken on the network every weekday.
SafeZone enables staff to call for assistance and receive optimised response at the touch of a button, via their assigned smartphone. This capability is as valuable on crowded city platforms at rush-hour as it is on more remote suburban stations where staff may be working alone late at night.
“Sydney Trains is committed to fulfilling our duty of care to all of our staff and enhancing our high safety standards in order to maintain and enrich customer service levels on station platforms,” explains Mark Edmonds, Manager of Security Capability, Network Operations. “Employing proven technology such as SafeZone will help us solve day-to-day challenges, further improving the safety of our staff and helping them work more effectively to continue to deliver world-class service.”
Across its transportation network, Sydney Trains will now have real-time situational awareness, and a more complete picture of critical events. This makes possible a wide range of security management functions, such as sending targeted alerts to specific individuals and groups. It enables control room operators to pinpoint the location of individuals needing help so they can initiate the most efficient and rapid emergency response.
“This visionary deployment by Sydney Trains will have a significant impact on the safety and wellbeing of staff and thus will produce dividends with regards to customer service and satisfaction, and the potential for streamlined operations moving forward,” says Glenn Farrant, CEO, CriticalArc. “With staff safety a primary concern for all rail operators internationally, implementation of this technology by Sydney Trains represents a significant step forward for the sector and will be the blueprint for many implementations to follow.”