Digitisation and dark mode: Berlin BVG introduces new info screens

The BVG, Berlin’s local transport association, has announced that digital service status update boards will soon be installed in U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations across the capital.

Berlin transport to get digital service update boards

Following in the footsteps of other world metropolises such as London and Paris, local transport association the BVG has announced that it plans to improve digital passenger information services in Berlin.

While already on display in a few stations in the German city, travellers can soon expect 1.500 new service update boards, which give information about disruptions in real-time and are understandable after just one quick glance. “The system refreshes every minute so that disruption notices are always up to date,” BVG technical expert for passenger information Christopher Land told Berliner Zeitung. 

The increasingly symbolic Berlin commute

Millions of people rely on the efficiency of public transport in Berlin every day. In the spirit of this efficiency, the new boards use symbols like an hourglass to communicate unexpectedly long waiting times and yellow and black barricade tape for building works. How successfully these symbols communicate such disruption was first tested out with BVG focus groups, where they received positive feedback.

“It is a simplified representation, but we use the yellow and black barricade tape uniformly in [the] Berlin-Brandenburg transport association, so many passengers are already familiar with it,” head of BVG passenger information Timo Kerßenfischer told Berliner Zeitung.

Berlin buses enter the dark mode age

Above ground, the company has said it also plans to instal digital display screens at 800 bus stops and 400 tram stops.

Once passengers board they can expect another change to their everyday - route display screens on Berlin’s buses are set to switch to dark mode. The BVG say that dark mode will have less of a “dizzying effect” on passengers and should make travel information more legible. For now, the company is still considering whether or not to also adopt dark mode on the display screens of Berlin's trams.

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