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Transport/
Specialized fields/
Urban transitUrban transit, measured for the people on board.
Metros, trams and buses move cities. Passenger counters, station air and climate sensors, condition monitors on escalators and lifts, energy meters and cameras report to one record the control centre, the maintenance teams and the passenger information system all use.
Plan a deploymentHow it worksStation Builder- Industry
- Transport
- Measurements
- 5
- Sources cited
- 5
Transport · Urban transit
The service riders feel
Riders judge a transit system by a crowded platform, a hot station, a stopped escalator and a sign that says the next train is coming. Operators who measure these things at every station can change service before crowds build, fix machines before they stop and tell riders what is really happening.
What is measured
Counts, air, machines and energy
Counters at gates, platforms and doors count passengers; sensors on platforms and in shafts read air quality, temperature and humidity; vibration sensors follow escalator and lift drives; meters read traction and station energy; cameras watch platforms for incidents. Every reading names its station and asset.
- Instruments
- Passenger counters · Station air and climate · Escalator and lift monitors · Energy meters · Cameras
The base node
Counting stays in the station
Each station’s node counts passengers locally and sends only counts, never images of faces. It raises crowding alerts, watches escalator and lift vibration for early faults and checks air and climate against limits, signing every value before it leaves the station.
Radio and links
Private 5G below ground, fibre between stations
A private 5G network on platforms, in tunnels and at depots reaches vehicles, staff devices and cameras where public coverage fails. The line’s fibre links every station and substation to the control centre, and station wireless for passengers stays apart from operations.
- Links
- Private 5G · Fibre · Wi-Fi
How it works
From a crowded platform to an extra train
Counters on a platform see numbers climb past the operator’s limit. The station node signs the counts and raises a crowding alert over fibre to the control centre, which inserts an extra train. Riders see the change in their journey planner, and the record keeps the decision.
From order to operation · Order
Scope the lines and the riders
The scope reads the network, the stations with deep platforms, the escalator and lift fleet, energy supplies and the passenger information system. Nexus Observatory Inc. returns the point plan by station, the network design, the privacy design, the integration with control and information systems and a price per station and per service.
Plan a deploymentFrom order to operation · Survey
Survey after the last train
Crews survey stations after the last train with the operator: gate and platform counter positions, air sensor sites on platforms and in shafts, escalator and lift drives, energy meters and camera views. They map fibre and power in each equipment room and radio coverage in tunnels.
From order to operation · Permits
Engineering and privacy approval
Every installation is approved by the operator’s engineering authority. Counting and cameras follow a privacy assessment, with counts made at the station and no faces leaving it. Station works are booked in engineering hours, and every approval is kept. Staff are briefed before work starts.
From order to operation · Build
Build for stations and tunnels
Counters, sensors, condition monitors, meters, gateways and nodes are built, tested together and enrolled with their identities. Crowding and air limits come from the operator, and every part is labelled by station, platform and asset number. Configurations are tested on a bench before they reach a station.
Open the Station BuilderFrom order to operation · Install
Install in engineering hours
Crews install at night: counters over gates and doors, air sensors on platforms and in shafts, vibration sensors on escalator and lift drives, meters in substations and cameras over platforms. Fibre is patched in each equipment room, and every point is recorded.
From order to operation · Commission
Count, compare and test
Each device proves its identity. Counts are checked against manual counts, air sensors against a reference, vibration baselines taken on healthy machines and meters compared with supply readings. Crowding and failure alarms are tested to the control centre. Each station joins the record only when all checks pass.
From order to operation · Operate
Run the service riders feel
The control centre sees crowding by station and vehicle and adjusts service; maintenance sees escalators and lifts heading for failure and fixes them before they stop; energy and air are tracked by station. Real-time data reaches riders and journey planners.
From order to operation · Maintain
Keep counts and air honest
Counters are checked against manual counts on schedule, air sensors calibrated, condition baselines updated after overhauls and cameras cleaned. Work is booked in engineering hours, and every change is recorded. Spares are kept at the depot, so a failed counter or sensor is swapped in the next engineering hours, and the series stays complete.
Book field servicesData products
For controllers, crews and riders
Control centres and planners receive crowding by station and vehicle; maintenance teams receive escalator and lift health; operators and health authorities receive station air and climate; energy managers receive energy by station; journey planners and riders receive real-time feeds. Each product carries its source.
See the data productsEvidence
Service you can show
Every count, alert, repair and decision is signed and kept. Real-time data follows the open transit feed specification, condition monitoring follows ISO practice, air follows the ambient air rules and the control network follows the industrial security standard, so a city or regulator can check the service delivered.
- Drawn against
- GTFS Realtime · ISO 16587 · Directive 2008/50/EC · IEC 62443
What you get
Private Wireless as a Service
Standalone private 5G or LTE for a site, campus, port or mine: radios, core, SIMs, spectrum route and operations. Delivered as managed service and hardware + software, for industrial operators, ports, campuses, venues, public safety. Scale: Per site; fleets of sites.
Talk to salesNext step
Plan urban transit with us
Tell us the site, the measurements and the rules it answers to. We reply with a survey proposal, a design and a scope for urban transit. An engineer replies with a survey proposal and a scope, and the plan grows from one site to the network you need, at your pace.
Plan a deploymentOpen the Station BuilderOpen the Studio
01The place and its hazards
Where it runs, and what can go wrong.
Operating contextTransit authorities and operators run metros, trams and buses with control centres, depots, stations and stops. Crowding, station air in deep platforms, broken escalators and lifts, energy costs and real-time information all shape the service people get. Data is shared with riders and journey planners through open feeds.
Hazards
- Overcrowding on platforms and vehicles
- Poor air and heat in underground stations
- Escalator and lift failures that strand people
- Traction energy waste and supply faults
- Incidents on platforms and in vehicles
02What must be measured
What, where, how often, and under which rules.
Each measurement names where it is taken, how often, and the public standard or regulation behind it. Numbers in the sources column open the cited source below.
| Measurement | Where | Cadence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger counts | Station gates, platforms and vehicle doors | Continuous, aggregated at short intervals | 1 |
| Station air quality and climate | Platforms, concourses and ventilation shafts | Continuous | 2 |
| Escalator and lift condition | Drives, gearboxes and steps | Continuous | 3 |
| Traction and station energy | Substations and station supplies | Continuous | 4 |
| Platform and vehicle images | Platforms, gates and vehicles | Continuous to the control centre | 5 |
03The observation stack
From one base unit to a network.
The same blocks at every scale: instruments and a base node, a site with its radio, a fleet run as one, and a network federated on the open protocol.
- 01
Base unit
A station point: counters, air and climate sensors and condition monitors on an industrial gateway with cameras, read by a station node.
Build a station → - 02
Site
A line: every station and depot on fibre, with private 5G on platforms and in tunnels for moving equipment.
Plan a site → - 03
Fleet
Every line of a city run as one fleet, with one record.
Managed offers → - 04
Network
Transit authorities, cities and journey planners exchange real-time and environmental data through open feeds.
The open protocol →
- 01Traffic and people counter
- 02Air quality monitor
- 03Vibration and condition monitor
- 04Energy and power-quality meter
- 05Fixed camera
- 06OT gateway (OPC UA, Modbus)
- 07Edge node (Wedge)
- 08Fibre terminal
Radio and links
Private 5G
A private network on platforms, in tunnels and at depots reaches vehicles, staff devices and cameras where public coverage is poor.
Radio and links
Fibre
The line’s fibre links every station, substation and depot to the control centre.
Radio and links
Wi-Fi
Station wireless serves passengers and maintenance tablets, kept apart from operations.
Edge computeEach station node counts passengers locally, raises crowding alerts, watches escalator and lift vibration for early faults and checks air and climate against limits; only counts leave the station, never images of faces.
PowerStation equipment runs on station supplies with batteries; nothing new is fed from traction power.
04How it works
From the instrument to the product.
One observation’s path, tier by tier, with the interface on every link and a bill of materials below; then how the one node grows to a site, a fleet and federated networks.
Urban transit: data path
– of 07
01 Instruments Measurement with sensor identity andcalibration 02 Gateway 03 Node – Wrap in an observation envelope with timequality– Measure quality and uncertainty, attachquality flags– Buffer locally (store-and-forward when thelink drops) 04 Backhaul Commit with transactional outbox andpublish, delivered at least once 05 Site Consumer inbox deduplicates and applieseach record once into governed data 06 Data store Governed product through API, map orexport, correction-aware 07 Products GTFS RealtimeIEC 61850OGC SensorThings API 01 Traffic and peoplecounter SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 02 Air quality monitor SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 03 Vibration and conditionmonitor Analogue I/O · RS-485 ·Ethernet 04 Energy andpower-quality meter SDI-12 · RS-485 · Ethernet 05 Fixed camera Ethernet 06 OT gateway (OPC UA, Modbus) Ethernet · RS-485 · CAN · AnalogueI/O 07 Edge node (Wedge) Ethernet · Fibre · USB · RS-485 ·BMC 08 Fibre terminal Fibre · Ethernet Site MQTT 5 with Sparkplug B Governed data store Versioned, correction-aware Crowding by station andvehicle Escalator and lift health Station air and climate Energy by station andsubstation Real-time feeds for riders Ethernet RS-485 RS-485 · Modbus Ethernet · IEC 61850 Ethernet · RTSP/ONVIF Ethernet · opc-ua Fibre Fibre| Item | Equipment | Data ports | Protocols | Power in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Traffic and people counterCounter for vehicles, bicycles or pedestrians using radar, vision or loops, reporting counts without identities. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC |
| 02 | Air quality monitorParticulate and gas monitor (PM, NO2, O3, CO, SO2) for outdoor or indoor air. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | SDI-12, Modbus, MQTT 5, OGC SensorThings API | 12 V DC |
| 03 | Vibration and condition monitorAccelerometer-based vibration and temperature sensor for rotating machinery and structural condition monitoring. | Analogue I/ORS-485Ethernet | Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT 5 | 12 V DC |
| 04 | Energy and power-quality meterMeter for voltage, current, power, energy and power quality at a site or on a feeder. | SDI-12RS-485Ethernet | Modbus, IEC 61850 (MMS, GOOSE), DNP3 (IEEE 1815), MQTT 5 | 12 V DC |
| 05 | Fixed cameraFixed visible-light camera for site security, scene monitoring and machine vision. | Ethernet | RTSP with ONVIF profiles, MQTT 5 | PoE |
| 06 | OT gateway (OPC UA, Modbus)Read-only bridge from industrial fieldbuses and controllers (Modbus, OPC UA, DNP3, IEC 61850, CAN) to the site network, behind a security boundary. | EthernetRS-485CANAnalogue I/O | OPC UA, Modbus, DNP3 (IEEE 1815), IEC 61850 (MMS, GOOSE), MQTT 5 | 24 V DC |
| 07 | Edge node (Wedge)Rugged edge node that boots from signed media, attests itself and establishes a site cell from little or no infrastructure. | EthernetFibreUSBRS-485BMC | MQTT 5, DMTF Redfish, IEEE 1588 PTP, NTP with NTS, OPC UA | 12 V DC, 24 V DC, 48 V DC, AC mains |
| 08 | Fibre terminalOptical network terminal or media converter that lands fibre backhaul at a site. | FibreEthernet | IEEE 1588 PTP | 12 V DC, 48 V DC, AC mains |
How it scales
01 Instruments Arbitrary qualified sensors and instruments whosemeasurements are ingested with calibration, units,geometry, time, custody and uncertainty. ×n 02 Node The minimum useful deployable unit: server, ruggedappliance, radio node, sensor gateway, satelliteterminal, AI, scientific, vehicle or virtual node. Node Node agent 03 Site The minimum independently operable localgovernance and failure domain: one or more nodesplus local network, identity, policy, evidence,storage, products and operator surfaces.SITE
Node Node Node ×n 04 Cluster An optional scale or specialisation domain forscheduling, shared storage, accelerators or datalocality.CLUSTER
×n 05 Fleet Coordinates plans, acknowledgements,convergence evidence, update campaigns andcorrection propagation across nodes and sites.FLEET
Fleet controller ×n 06 Federation An exchange of products, capabilities, events orwork across approved, independently administeredtrust domains, using explicit trust, policy,data-locality, version and correction contracts.TRUST DOMAIN
TRUST DOMAIN
TRUST DOMAIN
×n Verifier Applications Data in the field Telemetry Control Data upstream Control Data upstream Control Exchange Evidence Events Exchange- Data in the field
- MQTT 5 with Sparkplug B; connectors for LoRaWAN, OPC UA and instrument buses.
- Telemetry
- OpenTelemetry OTLP.
- Control
- TLS 1.3 with mutual authentication; protobuf messages over gRPC or HTTP/2.
- Data upstream
- At-least-once publication with repeat-safe keys over the control channel or NATS JetStream; QUIC MAY be used on lossy links.
- Evidence
- DSSE-signed in-toto statements; SLSA provenance; SCITT transparency receipts.
- Events
- Event envelopes mapped to CloudEvents 1.0; channels described in AsyncAPI 3.
- Exchange
- OpenAPI 3.1; the OGC API family; SensorThings; STAC; WIS 2.0.
05From order to operation
Every step, from the first call to a running site.
The same crew and the same record carry the work from scope to maintenance.
- 01 Order
Scope the lines and the riders
The scope reads the network, the stations with deep platforms, the escalator and lift fleet, energy supplies and the passenger information system. Nexus Observatory Inc. returns the point plan by station, the network design, the privacy design, the integration with control and information systems and a price per station and per service. 1
- 02 Survey
Survey after the last train
Crews survey stations after the last train with the operator: gate and platform counter positions, air sensor sites on platforms and in shafts, escalator and lift drives, energy meters and camera views. They map fibre and power in each equipment room and radio coverage in tunnels.
- 03 Permits
Engineering and privacy approval
Every installation is approved by the operator’s engineering authority. Counting and cameras follow a privacy assessment, with counts made at the station and no faces leaving it. Station works are booked in engineering hours, and every approval is kept. Staff are briefed before work starts.
- 04 Build
Build for stations and tunnels
Counters, sensors, condition monitors, meters, gateways and nodes are built, tested together and enrolled with their identities. Crowding and air limits come from the operator, and every part is labelled by station, platform and asset number. Configurations are tested on a bench before they reach a station.
- 05 Install
Install in engineering hours
Crews install at night: counters over gates and doors, air sensors on platforms and in shafts, vibration sensors on escalator and lift drives, meters in substations and cameras over platforms. Fibre is patched in each equipment room, and every point is recorded.
- 06 Commission
Count, compare and test
Each device proves its identity. Counts are checked against manual counts, air sensors against a reference, vibration baselines taken on healthy machines and meters compared with supply readings. Crowding and failure alarms are tested to the control centre. Each station joins the record only when all checks pass.
- 07 Operate
Run the service riders feel
The control centre sees crowding by station and vehicle and adjusts service; maintenance sees escalators and lifts heading for failure and fixes them before they stop; energy and air are tracked by station. Real-time data reaches riders and journey planners. 13
- 08 Maintain
Keep counts and air honest
Counters are checked against manual counts on schedule, air sensors calibrated, condition baselines updated after overhauls and cameras cleaned. Work is booked in engineering hours, and every change is recorded. Spares are kept at the depot, so a failed counter or sensor is swapped in the next engineering hours, and the series stays complete.
06Data products and integration
What it delivers, to whom, and into which systems.
Data products
- Crowding by station and vehicleControl centres and service planners
- Escalator and lift healthMaintenance teams
- Station air and climateOperators and health authorities
- Energy by station and substationEnergy managers
- Real-time feeds for ridersJourney planners and passengers
Integration
- Passenger informationCrowding and service data are published in GTFS Realtime for journey planners.
- Maintenance managementCondition alerts open work orders in the operator’s maintenance system.
- Control and energy systemsMeters and controllers are read over IEC 61850, OPC UA or Modbus behind a security gateway.
Exchanged through GTFS Realtime, IEC 61850, OGC SensorThings API.
07Questions buyers ask
Before you scope it.
Do cameras identify passengers?
No. Counting happens in the station; only counts leave it, and the privacy assessment is published where the operator chooses.
Can we predict escalator failures?
Condition monitoring shows faults developing, so most are fixed before they stop the machine.
Will riders see crowding?
Yes, where the operator publishes it in real-time feeds.
When is work done?
In engineering hours after the last train.
08Resources
The sources behind this page.
Public standards, regulations and guidance, cited where they apply. Each applies only where its jurisdiction or scope does.
- 1GTFS Realtime referenceGTFS community specification
- 2Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for EuropeEuropean Union · 2008
- 3ISO 16587: Mechanical vibration and shock, performance parameters for condition monitoring of structuresInternational Organization for Standardization
- 4IEC 62443: Security for industrial automation and control systemsInternational Electrotechnical Commission
- 5Directive 2010/40/EU on intelligent transport systemsEuropean Union · 2010
09Related
Use cases and solutions.
Use caseHybrid air-quality observatory
A few reference analysers and many low-cost nodes, with co-location calibration and an open-data feed.The full use case →SolutionPrivate Wireless as a Service
Standalone private 5G or LTE for a site, campus, port or mine: radios, core, SIMs, spectrum route and operations.Solutions for transport →SolutionMunicipal sensing and connectivity layers
City-wide LPWAN or private 5G as a shared layer for public sensors and services.Solutions for transport →SolutionStructural and ground-movement monitoring
GNSS, InSAR, tilt, strain and fibre sensing on bridges, dams, slopes, tailings and pipelines, with alert thresholds set by the owner.Solutions for transport →10Transport: specialized fields
Other fields of this industry.
Specialized fieldRoads and bridges
Road weather and surface state, traffic counts, bridge vibration and scour, and cameras along the corridor, on cellular and fibre to the traffic centre, for safer winters and evidence-based maintenance.The full field →Specialized fieldRailways
Earthworks and structures, track-side weather and flooding, rail temperature and cameras at level crossings, on the railway’s own mobile network and fibre, for fewer speed restrictions and safer lines.The full field →Specialized fieldPorts and terminals
Wind for cranes, water levels and depths, air quality and noise at the boundary, and cameras over the quays, on a private 5G network across the terminal and fibre to the port’s systems.The full field →Specialized fieldAirports
Weather beside the runways, wind shear and visibility support, aircraft noise and air quality in the communities around, on the airport’s fibre and private network, alongside the official aviation weather service.The full field →Specialized fieldRoad and rail tunnels
Air quality and visibility, air flow and ventilation, fire detection, cameras and radio coverage inside the tube, on a radiating cable and fibre with an industrial network kept apart from the internet.The full field →Specialized fieldInland waterways and locks
Water levels and depths, flows at weirs, wind and visibility, and cameras at locks and bridges, on LoRaWAN and cellular along the river, feeding the river information services skippers use.The full field →Bring us the site.
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