Using Wifi Technologies to Count Passengers in Real-time around Rail Infrastructure

Smart mobile devices with wireless networking are now ubiquitous. If switched on, these devices will look for wireless access points in their immediate vicinity. This behaviour can be used to count the number of these devices and by association, the number of people nearby. With enough sensors the number and the flow of people through a space can be mapped. This study examines the use of this technology to estimate the number and flow of people through parts of Richmond Railway Station in Melbourne, Victoria. When used in a station, a train or across a transport network the information gathered can then be used by transport authorities for the planning and delivery of services and by passengers to better plan their journey.