Highlights

• The bus stations, funded by the Department for Transport, are part of a BRT scheme to make it quicker and easier to travel by public transport to access work, leisure, shopping and education facilities, across Blackburn and Darwen, Accrington and Hyndburn.

• Multi-display information estate powered by Journeo’s EPI software

• Including double-sided totems designed to display passenger information and also house CCTV and lighting

• As well as 25 27” gateline displays

Customer requirements

Blackburn’s 90 metre long station is an impressive structure, with architecture reminiscent of the cotton weaving looms so deeply embedded in Lancashire’s industrial heritage. This unique design required the latest technology to be sympathetically installed in the facilities. This included gateline screens at 14 bus stands in Blackburn and a further 11  in Accrington.

In addition to the 25 gateline screens there was a need to produce bespoke displays that could display real time passenger information and house facilities that could not be mounted to the new architecture, such as CCTV and lighting.

The council also required a content management system so the new gateline screens could provide more than just travel information, including public service announcements and advertising to highlight the services and amenities that the new bus stations open up for passengers and visitors.

The stations, whilst staffed for the duration of all departures, required a ticket vending machine to allow passengers to purchase tickets for travel.

Solution and technology

Journeo designed, manufactured and installed a variety of display hardware all powered by our RTPI / CMS software, EPI.

Each of Blackburn Bus Station’s 14 enclosed stands, and Accrington’s 11, have a 27” gateline display to give passengers up to the minute information on the services departing from the stand. The TFT displays are also able to provide more information than their traditional LED counterparts. For example, highlight ‘via’ information in addition to the destination, alongside any additional advertising and communication messages required.

All the displays provided were designed and manufactured by Journeo and are protected by automated health monitoring tools, which check on the status of the displays and alert service technicians to any issues. 

In addition to these gateline displays, Blackburn Bus Station also has five double-sided totems of bespoke design. Finished in a corian material to complement the eye-catching architectural design of the structure, the totems do more than display the travel information required by passengers. Each of the units houses the main lighting for the bus station alongside CCTV cameras to keep passengers safe and provide them with extra confidence when making their journeys.

Journeo also provided a double-sided ticket vending machine and journey planner to each station, providing local information to the public as well as being able to provide tickets for all the services available from the bus station. The displays are also enabled with a bespoke RNIB wayfinding system, to make the journey information accessible to all.

The data displayed on each screen is controlled by EPI. EPI takes transport feeds from multiple data sources and enables users to manage individual and multiple screens. The displays not only provide the latest travel information but can also be used to deliver advertising and data on local events and hotspots, and can all be managed from EPI’s online portal.