Train operator weighs rail passengers

Southeastern uses computer counting to ease overcrowding

Southeastern is to weigh its passengers

Train operator Southeastern has fitted carriages with technology to weigh passengers to determine how busy its services are and reduce overcrowding.

The company has installed pressure devices to work out the total number of passengers on its trains and the numbers getting on and off at each station.

Each passenger is deemed to weigh 11st 7lb and when the weighing devices take a measurement, the result is sent to the train’s central computer and downloaded to a database.

Southeastern says the data allows it to determine how many passengers are on each train and to act to address problems on overcrowded services.

The train company operates some of the most congested services in the South East and carries more than 200,000 passengers in and out of London every day.

It has introduced the computer counting technology on its mainline services and is planning to introduce it on some suburban trains.