EAO, a specialist in human machine interfaces (HMI) for the railway industry, has been recognized with the Innovation award in the Reservation Systems category in the 2025 Railway Technology Excellence Awards for its forward-thinking approach to addressing the evolving challenges of mobility and urbanization.
The Railway Technology Excellence Awards honor the most significant achievements and innovations in the railway industry. Powered by GlobalData’s business intelligence, the Awards recognize the people and companies leading change and shaping the future of the industry.
Go deeper with GlobalData
EAO won the award for developing a next-generation seat reservation system that demonstrates improvements in passenger flow management, energy efficiency, and system adaptability.
Enhancing passenger flow and experience in modern rail operations
One of the core reasons for EAO’s recognition is its direct response to the growing complexity of passenger movement in today’s rail networks. As urbanization accelerates and mobility demands increase, rail operators face the challenge of efficiently routing large numbers of passengers through increasingly interconnected systems. EAO’s seat reservation system is designed to optimize this flow by making seat availability and reservation status immediately visible and understandable.
The system features bright, high-luminosity LED indicators—green, red, or orange—that are easily recognizable from a distance. This allows passengers to quickly determine whether a seat is free, reserved, or designated for special use (such as for bicycles), even before reaching their seat. For example, during peak travel times or in high-capacity trains, this early recognition reduces hesitation and confusion in the aisles, enabling faster boarding and minimizing dwell times at stations. The system’s ability to display reservation information for both single and double seats, as well as to clearly mark aisle or window positions, further streamlines passenger movement and enhances the overall travel experience.
Moreover, the integration of the seat reservation system with the train’s passenger information system ensures that reservation data is always up to date. This real-time synchronization is particularly valuable for operators managing dynamic seat allocations or last-minute changes, as it eliminates discrepancies and ensures passengers always have access to accurate information. By addressing these operational pain points, EAO’s solution supports both passenger satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Flexible integration, customization, and seamless installation
EAO’s seat reservation system stands out for its exceptional flexibility and adaptability, which are critical in a market characterized by diverse rolling stock and evolving service requirements. The system is built on a standardized platform that allows for seamless integration with existing passenger information systems via CAN bus and Ethernet connectivity. This ensures that the seat reservation displays can be easily incorporated into both new and retrofitted train fleets without extensive modifications.
Customization is a core strength of the solution. The display housing can be tailored to match the specific design and appearance requirements of different train interiors, ensuring a cohesive look and feel. The software is also highly adaptable, allowing operators to configure the display content to show information for one or two seats, rotate the display for left or right cable exits, and supplement the display with various symbols—such as those indicating aisle or window seats, or special areas for bicycles. For instance, if a train operator introduces a new seating arrangement or designates new areas for special purposes, the system can be quickly reconfigured to reflect these changes.
Installation is designed to be straightforward and efficient. The modular nature of the display units means they can be rotated by 180 degrees to accommodate different installation requirements, and insert strips for symbols or letters can be replaced or updated as needed. This flexibility reduces installation time and costs, minimizes disruption to operations, and supports rapid adaptation to changing service needs. The system’s compliance with key railway standards (such as EN 50155 and EN 45545-2) further ensures that it meets the safety and reliability requirements of the rail industry.
Energy efficiency and sustainability in rail reservation systems
A major factor in EAO’s award is the system’s innovative approach to energy efficiency and sustainability. The seat reservation displays utilize advanced display technology that only consumes power when the displayed content changes, rather than during continuous operation. This feature significantly reduces the system’s overall energy consumption, which is particularly important for operators seeking to lower operational costs and improve their environmental performance.
The displays offer high contrast and readability in all lighting conditions, with optional backlighting that activates only when necessary. This ensures that passengers can always access clear information without unnecessary energy expenditure. For example, in well-lit environments, the backlighting remains off, while in low-light conditions, it can be activated to maintain visibility.
Sustainability is further enhanced by the system’s digital approach to seat reservations. By eliminating the need for manual seat reservation processes and paper-based tickets, the system reduces both labor requirements and paper waste. This not only streamlines operations, but also aligns with broader industry efforts to reduce the environmental impact of rail transport. The reduction in manual processes also means fewer opportunities for human error, contributing to a more reliable and efficient service.
“For over 75 years, EAO has been known for developing high-quality switches, keypads, and control elements – all the way to complete HMI panels and systems. This product clearly demonstrates how valuable it is to deeply understand the diverse needs of users and translate them into an ergonomic and flexible solution.”, said Dominique Burkard, Principal Industrial and UX-Design Manager at EAO. “By focusing on user-centered development using the design thinking method, we have created a system that not only performs reliably but also delivers a consistently positive user experience. After all, technology becomes meaningful when it is designed for humans.”
“We are truly honored to receive the Railway Technology Excellence Award for our latest product in the railway sector – the Seat Reservation System. This recognition reinforces our guiding principle: Reliable. Intuitive. Innovative.”
– Dominique Burkard, Principal Industrial and UX-Design Manager at EAO
Company Profile
Human Machine Interfaces. Since 1947
EAO AG, a Swiss, family-owned company founded in 1947, has developed into one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality switches, keyboards, sophisticated control elements, and complete HMI control units and HMI Systems. With over 600 dedicated employees, EAO has a global production and distribution network at its disposal. And with production sites in Switzerland, Germany, North America and China, as well as our 10 country sales companies and distributors in over 50 countries, we can guarantee global availability.
Your solution-focused expert and partner
EAO does much more than just manufacture individual control elements. As a solution-focused partner, we provide the option of technically and mechanically customizing existing HMI Components in line with our customers’ individual requirements. From simple control elements through to sophisticated HMI Systems, from serial production through to installation – we offer the entire range of HMI services and inspire the confidence of our customers.
Contact Details
EAO AG
Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 62 286 91 11
E-mail: communication@eao.com
Find your local contact: https://www.eao.com/contact-us
Links
Find and configure your EAO Product: https://www.eao.com/catalog/en
