Hitachi Adds Crew Member Support Option to Mobility Assistance Service for Passengers with Disabilities

Hitachi, Ltd. (hereinafter 'Hitachi') will add a new crew member support option (hereinafter 'this feature') to its passenger assistance service for people with mobility constraints (hereinafter 'this service') for railway operators, starting on July 13, 2026.

This service enables station staff to complete coordination tasks for boarding and alighting assistance for passengers using wheelchairs or white canes via smart devices.

This newly added feature supports crew members, particularly train drivers. During single-person operation*2, a pop-up notification, alarm sound, and voice message will be delivered to the driver’s smart device just before departure, prompting confirmation that station staff have completed assistance. This prevents missed confirmation of assistance completion, ensures a safer and more reassuring rail experience for passengers using wheelchairs or white canes, and reduces psychological stress on drivers.

*1 Passenger Assistance Support System for People with Mobility Constraints: Social Infrastructure IT Systems: Hitachi

*2 A train operated solely by a driver without a conductor on board

Background

In recent years, many railway operators have been introducing or considering single-person operation to optimize operating costs and address crew shortages. However, under single-person operation, drivers must also handle platform safety checks, door operations, and boarding announcements, increasing their workload. In particular, during boarding and alighting assistance for passengers with mobility constraints, drivers may not fully grasp the assistance status, raising the risk of departing before passengers or staff have finished boarding or alighting. As single-person operation expands in urban areas, addressing these challenges becomes increasingly critical.

Since 2022, Hitachi has provided this service, digitizing assistance coordination that previously relied on verbal communication and paper-based processes, thereby improving operational efficiency and reducing psychological burden for station staff across multiple railway operators. With the addition of this feature, Hitachi expands support from station staff to include drivers and other crew members, enhancing safety by preventing missed confirmation of assistance completion and reducing crew stress.

About the New Feature

This feature integrates with assistance scheduling data registered by station staff on the service platform and supports confirmation via the operational smart devices used by drivers. For railway operators already using this service, the feature can be smoothly introduced by simply adding it to existing crew-issued smart devices.

Key features include:

(1) Enabling confirmation without reliance on visual information through smart device voice functions

Under single-person operation, drivers take over door operations previously handled by conductors, increasing visual workload due to multiple checks via cameras, platform doors, and monitors.

This feature leverages the smart device’s voice capabilities to enable confirmation without relying on visual input. Specifically, it alerts drivers via notification sounds and voice messages about passengers requiring boarding/alighting assistance at the next station and confirms when assistance is complete.

(2) Reducing psychological burden through prevention of missed assistance confirmation

Just before departure, a voice message repeatedly prompts the driver to confirm assistance completion until it is acknowledged. This ensures reliable confirmation, reducing psychological stress on crew members.

Additionally, it helps prevent risks such as trains departing before assisting staff have disembarked, contributing to the safety of staff and passengers and ensuring secure and reliable train operations.

Figure 1 | Conceptual image of the crew member support option

Website for Hitachi's Passenger Assistance Support Service

https://www.hitachi.co.jp/products/it/society/product_solution/mobility/guidance_support/

Contact

Hitachi, Ltd., Social Systems Business Unit

Mobility Solutions & Innovation Division

Contact Form

※ Please select 'Inquiry about transportation field'

End