Calgary light rail installs Biamp Vocia public address solution

Con Biamp Vocia has updated the voice communication system used at C-Train stations to cover the influx of new residents to the area.

The public address solution Biamp Voices, brand that distributes Avit Vision, has been the response to the communication requirements of the C-Train (Calgary Transit), providing the clear communication and scalability that the City of Calgary (Alberta – Canada) I was looking for.

With a booming oil industry and a strong local economy, Calgary is Canada's fastest growing city. As the population increased, City leaders began updating existing infrastructure to accommodate the constant influx of new residents.

This was the time when a line was added to the city's light rail system (C-Train), and the oldest stations, that had not been touched since the decade of 1980, received some necessary improvements. Before review, stations used outdated equipment, ineffective and not adequate to modern emergency response standards.

“Vocia provided us with the solution we needed in a complicated traffic situation that included several outdoor stations exposed to extreme weather conditions for much of the year”, explains Leon Tippetto, director of Audiovisual Integration of Unified Systems Group.

The City of Calgary needed a flexible and robust solution with features such as zone public address and the ability to broadcast live and pre-recorded messages. The objective was to meet the growing needs of public transportation.

Biamp's Vocia voice communication system was chosen for its flexibility, scalability and ability to manage your software from a central office, instead of doing it at each individual station.

Installation included Rundle stations, Marlborough, Franklin, Barlow/Max Bell, Calgary Zoo and Bridgeland/Memorial along the northeast line. Although only six of the 45 C-Train stations received initial update, Vocia's ability to easily expand to other lines or the entire railway system 58,6 kilometers was a key proposal.

One of the challenges faced was that most stations had limited space in each room to house the equipment needed for the original system.. This caused static interference and difficulties accessing and servicing them.. Choosing Vocia allowed the project to maximize the available space and obtain greater functionality from the system. All this without compromising quality or flexibility.

As a complementary service, Biamp sent a representative to Calgary and provided on-site training to system technicians, which allowed C-Train technicians to solve their doubts with the system and detect possible problems before they were noticeable to passengers or interfered with train schedules..

Calgary Transit recognized Vocia's ease of use, as well as the greater efficiency and improved communication it provides.

Once the fiber lines are installed for the emergency response control and data acquisition system (Scada), The operators will be integrated into the general transit system.

With Voices, Traffic managers can manage all elements from a centralized location, allowing announcements or programming changes to be made in real time. Before update, any alterations had to be made at the individual stations.

Biamp provided an audio solution that improved commutes for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who use the C-Train each day and supports future expansion as Calgary's transit needs continue to evolve..