Calgary Light Rail Installs Biamp Vocia PUBLIC Address Solution

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

The public address solution Biamp Vocia, 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) Sought.

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 steady influx of new residents.

This was the time when a line was included in 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 Before the review, stations used outdated equipment, ineffective and not adequate to modern emergency response standards.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 transit 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 zoned public address and the ability to broadcast live and pre-recorded messages. The aim was to meet the growing needs of public transport.

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

The 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 upgrade, Vocia's ability to easily extend to other lines or to the entire railway system of 58,6 kilometers was a key proposal.

One of the challenges he faced was that most stations had limited space in each room to house the necessary equipment from the original system.. This caused static interference and difficulties in accessing and servicing them.. The choice of Vocia allowed the project to maximize the available space and obtain greater functionality of the system. All this without compromising on 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 increased efficiency and improved communication it provides.

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

With Vocia, transit managers can handle all items from one centralized location, allowing real-time announcements or scheduling changes. Before the upgrade, any alterations had to be made at the individual stations.

Biamp provided an audio solution that improved commuting 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..

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