From next Monday (6th May), NS conductors will receive a new smartwatch so they will be able to depart trains to the second.
According to NOS, NS has said that they have been testing these watches for two years already and found that it really helps to get the trains off on time and prevents any sort of delay.
But to the second? Is this really necessary? NS seems to think so, especially as the number of trains running is only set to increase with the growth of the population. If you aim to make every train leave at the exact time, then it should be mean that they’ll be fewer delays.
So, what are the watches like?
They’re not just any old smartwatch, they are specially designed for its purpose. The smartwatch will vibrate 42 seconds before the train is set to depart. This smartwatch is hooked up to an app which has been specifically designed for Dutch railways. The vibration means that the conductors don’t need to ‘clock watch’ and can continue their work and helping customers.
According to NOS, 1900 conductors will receive this watch next week, with more to be expected. It’s also not know how much these new watches have cost, but if it means fewer trains are delayed, then you can see why they’ve done it.
Now all we’ve got to worry about is if we’re a couple of seconds late then it’s game over. Time to start waking up a little earlier for work folks. 😉
