Article ·
Trainspector
(2025 – present)
Occupancy of every train connection from mobile network data: passenger-kilometres, boarding and alighting points
Trainspector measures the occupancy of individual train connections from anonymized mobile network data. By combining the geolocation of the locomotive with the geolocation of passengers on board, it shows passenger-kilometres per connection, i.e. how many people travel on each track segment between stations, and where passengers board and alight. Delivered together with Slovak Telekom for ZSSK, the Railway Company of Slovakia, and built on the instarea ServiceHub platform.
TransportRevenue AssuranceGeolocationRailwaysPassenger AnalyticsOccupancy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Trainspector?
Trainspector measures how full individual train connections are, using anonymized mobile network data. It reports passenger-kilometres per connection, i.e. the load on each track segment between stations, together with the stations where passengers board and alight.
How does Trainspector measure train occupancy?
It combines the geolocation of the locomotive (where the train is) with the anonymized geolocation of passengers travelling on board. Phones moving together with the train between stations count towards that connection; where they join and leave the train gives the boarding and alighting points. From this, Trainspector derives the passenger-kilometres travelled on each segment.
Who uses Trainspector?
ZSSK, the Railway Company of Slovakia. Trainspector is delivered together with Slovak Telekom, which provides the mobile network data, and runs on instarea's ServiceHub platform (since 2025).
What is the occupancy data used for?
To see which connections and track segments are full or underused, compare demand across the network and over time, and support decisions on capacity and timetables with measured passenger-kilometres instead of estimates.