How the control room of tomorrow will make public transport more proactive and safer

At the table were Frank Bontje (head of the NS Social Safety Control Room), Nicole Ouwerkerk (Manager of GVB Transport Communication Centre), Tom Deijl (Team Manager of the Central Traffic Control Staff RET), Philip Hupkes (Director of BaanVak) and Herman van Veelen (Human Factor Consultant at vhp human performance).

From responding to preventing

That control rooms change is beyond doubt for the participants. Where control rooms traditionally worked mainly incident-driven and reactive, the focus is shifting to a more proactive approach. "We have to move from reacting to preventing," Van Dijkhuizen emphasized at the opening. "The goal is to build a control room together that makes public transport smarter, safer and more resilient."

According to Frank Bontje, one principle remains intact: the control room remains the central point in the chain. "The operator will continue to play a central role, even though more and more new technologies are coming our way," he said. At the same time, the importance of chain cooperation is increasing. After all, control rooms do not operate in isolation, but in a network of carriers, infrastructure managers, police and other government services.

Nicole Ouwerkerk endorses that. "You don't just want to evaluate internally, but also with stakeholders outside your own organization. Learning together and making agreements together is crucial to effectively tackle incidents and events."

Agreements and leadership

This cooperation requires clear governance and leadership, Philip Hupkes argued. "Increasingly, carriers, contractors and managers are sitting together in one room. Especially in the event of incidents, you must be able to fall back on agreements that have been made in advance. This requires not only good governance, but also leadership on the day itself."

Bontje pointed out that cooperation starts in the preparation. "In our control room, we don't just manage the daily operations. In the preparation, it is at least as important to sit down with partners — for example with the Johan Cruijff ArenA or with carriers such as GVB — so that everyone knows what to expect from each other."

Data-driven control rooms

An important driver behind the changes is the enormous growth of available data. Camera surveillance, sensors, notifications via apps and AI systems provide more and more information. "Traditionally, we mainly received reports from administrators or enforcers," said Tom Deijl. "Now more and more is being added. You have to filter that data and convert it into workable information."

Context is crucial here, Bontje emphasized. "Information must be translated into wisdom and action perspective. For example, if you know that there is a large demonstration taking place somewhere in the city, you can better estimate what the impact could be on public transport."

But more data does not automatically mean better decision-making, Herman van Veelen warned. "With more and more cameras and systems, there is a risk that operators will no longer be able to see the wood for the trees. You have to think carefully about what information you really need."

The operator as director

The changing information flows also have major consequences for the work of control room staff. According to several speakers, the role of operator is evolving from dispatcher — someone who processes reports — to director, who sets priorities and makes decisions based on a variety of data sources.

"If AI can soon provide three possible solutions from which the operator can choose, the role of dispatcher to director will shift," says Bontje. "That requires different skills and different training."

Tom Deijl sees the same development. "The work changes, the people change and different things are asked of employees. The shortage in the labor market can even be a strength: new technology also attracts new types of employees."

At the same time, the sector must treat experienced employees who have been working in control rooms for years. "Their knowledge and experience are of enormous value," said Nicole Ouwerkerk. "The challenge is to retain that knowledge and combine it with new skills and technologies."

Van Veelen calls it a gradual process. "Simple tasks are taken over by machines, while the remaining tasks become more complex. Critical thinking skills — for example, assessing the reliability of information — are becoming increasingly important."

Cybersecurity and flexibility

In addition to data and personnel development, cybersecurity and system architecture were also discussed. According to Ouwerkerk, cybersecurity is gaining an increasingly prominent place in the control room organization. "Digital scenarios are playing an increasingly important role in crisis preparation. Agreements with suppliers are also becoming more important."

Hupkes also argued for more flexible systems. "We still often work with large monolithic systems that do not always match the speed of the market. Suppliers need to be closer to the control room and better understand what operators need."

Constantly on the move

The control room of the future is not an end point but an ongoing process, host Van Dijkhuizen emphasized. Large investment programmes, such as the billions invested in regional mobility systems, make it necessary to start thinking now about what control rooms will look like in ten to twenty years' time. "Systems that you choose today sometimes have to be used for thirty years. That makes today's choices extra important."

The most important success factor? According to the participants, it ultimately lies with humans. "It starts with positioning and supporting the employee well," Bontje said in the final round. "And the real success comes when we can show that we've prevented incidents by using information better—so when we really move from reactive to proactive."

The conclusion of the webinar was clear: technology, data and collaboration are radically changing the control room, but the key to success remains the professional who knows how to translate all these developments into better decisions. The control room of the future will become smarter, but people will remain in control.

Watch the webinar here (only available in Dutch).