Event
Webinar: The Future of Control Rooms in Public Transportation
From Centralist to Director
- Altijd
- On demand
Watch the recording
The control room plays a crucial role in the day-to-day operation of public transport. It is the place where information comes together, decisions are made, and passenger impact is minimized when every second counts. However, the world around us is changing rapidly. Today’s control room is facing increasingly complex situations: digitalization, growing pressure on capacity, and the need not only to respond, but also to prevent. We are moving from an incident-driven way of working to a proactive, data-driven and collaborative approach.
During this webinar, the focus will be on how the control room of the future is evolving towards a proactive orchestration role within the public transport safety chain. This requires an integrated approach to people, processes and technology.
- Human: How the control room operator evolves from a centralist to a director, with the right competencies, decisiveness and collaboration between chain partners.
- Process: Harmonization of processes and optimization of collaboration with chain partners, enabling control rooms to act proactively and to efficiently direct operations in complex situations.
- Technology: How data, AI, real-time information and advanced communication systems help control rooms work smarter and faster, from automatic incident detection to the integration of multiple information sources.
Who is this webinar interesting for?
The webinar offers concrete insights, practical examples, and inspiration directly from the field. Experienced speakers from Baanvak, NS, RET, and GVB will share their knowledge, experiences, and vision. They will take us through how control rooms are evolving into a proactive management role within the chain, and the opportunities and challenges related to people, technology, and processes. A valuable session for everyone who works with or collaborates with control rooms within the public transport domain.
Speakers
Frank Bontje
Head of NS Control Room
Responsible for ensuring the safety of passengers and staff, and for leading the transition to a fully integrated control room.
Tom Deijl
Team Manager Central Traffic Control RET
"After studying Urban Geography in Utrecht, I started my career as a Metro Traffic Controller, a position I held for ten years. On 1 February 2025, I became Team Manager of the staff department of the Central Traffic Control. In this role, I focus primarily on the processes within traffic control. My operational experience helps me make improvements practical and achievable. A major project in 2026 is transforming our backup traffic control into a fully functional traffic control center, after which we will make our backup our main location."
Philip Hupkes
Director BaanVak
Responsible for developing and training professionals, with a focus on control rooms, operations centers, command centers, and centralists.
Nicole Ouwerkerk
Manager Transport Communication Center GVB
"Manager of the Transport Communication Center (CCV) at GVB in the dynamic city of Amsterdam, where no two days are the same. CCV is undergoing significant changes, with major system upgrades ahead, all while day-to-day operations continue and the 'shop stays open' during the transition. Working with people and collaborating on change gives me a lot of energy. I have also gained this experience in my previous roles as HRD Manager and Flex Pool Manager (tram and bus). For example, we completely renewed the tram training program with the introduction of a tram simulator and established the bus driving school (license D)."
Herman van Veelen
Human Factor Consultant vhp human performance
Expert in the field of human resources. Designs complex working environments (such as control rooms and surveillance rooms) by finding a balance between people, technology and organisation. The aim is to create a challenging working environment in which people can perform at their best.
