When the train arrives at the station, it is always the same reflex, most passengers carefully scrutinize the inside of the train, looking for the best car, the one that has more space, or even the grail: a seat.

To help users in their quest, Île-de-France Mobilités and Transilien SNCF Voyageurs are launching a new information service that is unprecedented in France: display screens on station platforms that allow them to make a choice.

Three colors to indicate the crowd in each car

Tested during the health crisis on line H of the Transilien, this system is deployed on a larger scale on several lines operated by Transilien SNCF Voyageurs (all lines H, J, K, L, N, R, a large part of Line P and partially on the RER E).


To put it simply, these screens indicate the distribution of passengers in real time within the train entering the station. Through a simple system of colors and silhouettes, users on the platform discover the crowds, car by car, according to three levels. The green color ensures a low attendance and available seating, the orange indicates an average attendance with few seats, and the red color indicates a strong attendance with only standing places.

This information is enabled by infrared sensors located below each door that count the number of passengers getting on and off the entire train at each station.

Better flow management

In addition to the possibility of increasing one's chances of travelling seated, this system also has the virtue, according to Île-de-France Mobilités and Transilien SNCF Voyageurs, of allowing better management of the upflow and downflow of trains, and therefore an optimization of the parking time of trains in stations.

Thanks to this distribution, the operator hopes to improve the regularity of its trains, often caused by "traffic jams" in certain areas. This technology should also make it possible to increase user safety by limiting jostling and overcrowding.



The declared objective of Transilien SNCF Voyageurs is now to deploy the system on all metered trains, which make up half of the current fleet.

  • Local
  • Paris
  • Ile
  • Transilien
  • SNCF
  • Transport
  • Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM)