SBB to launch new system that helps passengers find their friends on the train

Picture this: you are on your way to Zurich, Bern or Geneva for a quick holiday or night out with friends. To begin your journey, you get on the train a few stops before your friends, and in order to reunite for the evening ahead, you now have to try to tell your travel companions that you are in the.... front carriage? Now, this confusion may be a thing of the past: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is trialling a system which will tell you exactly where you are sitting on the train, down to the nearest seat.

Swiss public transport app is getting an upgrade!

In a statement, given to 20 Minuten, SBB said that passengers on Swiss public transport will soon be able to identify exactly where they are sitting on the train. As part of its preview app - which is used to test how new features for the official mobile app will work - people are now able to use their mobile phones to see exactly which carriage they are sitting in, down to the exact seat and floor.

The new app will also show live updates about the train's progress such as how many minutes until the next stop, how long each stop will be, expected platforms, whether each carriage is full or not and information about any delays expected by the driver. The service is currently only available on Intercity, EuroCity and Interregional trains.

SBB to launch the new tracking system in the near future

The system relies on new Bluetooth sensors which have been installed in every rail carriage, meaning the user needs an internet and Bluetooth connection for the location service to work. For those concerned about data privacy, a spokesperson assured the Aargauer Zeitung that SBB does store any of the data it collects.

SBB are yet to confirm when the service will be rolled out to the official SBB app. However, if you want to try it for yourself now, please download the SBB preview app.

Thumb image credit: Shutterstock.com / olrat