About client
The North European metro operator
The North European metro operator is the authority responsible for running and developing the metro network of one of northern Europe’s largest and most dynamic cities. Since opening its doors to the public in 2002, the operator has grown into a critical pillar of the city’s mobility infrastructure, serving millions of journeys every year and continuously expanding its reach. The metro operates as part of a coordinated public transport ecosystem in which multiple operators including bus and regional rail providers share a unified ticketing infrastructure. This cooperative model requires that each operator can precisely account for the number of passengers it carries, since this data directly determines how shared revenue is divided.
Key facts about the operator
Network spans approximately 43 km across 4 metro lines (M1, M2, M3, M4)
44 stations equipped with Acorel counting technology since 2017
Carried 125.6 million passengers in 2024, up 6 million from 2023
Operates within a fully integrated, multi-modal travel zone alongside urban buses and regional trains
A single interoperable travel card covers the entire multi-operator network
Revenue from metro operations is collected and distributed based on verified passenger counts
The challenge
Operating within a multi-modal, multi-operator transport ecosystem creates a unique and critical challenge: the precise attribution of shared fare revenue. In this city, a single travel card covers metro, bus, and regional train travel, with each operator entitled to a portion of the pooled revenue proportional to the number of passengers it transports. This revenue-sharing arrangement is not a minor accounting detail for the metro operator, it is the primary mechanism by which it collects the income generated by the network’s development and growth.
Core challenges faced
Revenue accountability: each operator must submit a detailed, audited traffic report every quarter to justify its revenue share claim. These reports must be accepted as credible and accurate by the other participating operators.
Accuracy at scale: With over 125 million passengers per year across 44 stations, even small percentage errors in counting translate into tens of millions of incorrect journey attributions, directly affecting revenue distribution.
Partner trust: The entire revenue-sharing model depends on mutual trust between operators. Counting data must meet an agreed accuracy standard to be accepted by all parties there is no room for estimates or disputed figures.
Scalability with growth: Ridership has been growing steadily. The counting system must not only be accurate today but must remain reliable as passenger volumes continue to increase toward the forecast of 135 million journeys in 2025.
Maintenance planning: As a live operational network, the metro cannot shut down for extended periods. Any maintenance work must be scheduled intelligently to minimise service disruption and passenger inconvenience.
When the metro launched in 2002, its initial Acorel counting solution based on IRTech infrared sensors provided an accuracy of 95 to 96%. While this was a functional starting point, the growing complexity of the revenue-sharing model and the rising stakes of passenger volume made this level of precision insufficient. The operator needed a step-change in counting accuracy to meet its contractual obligations and to confidently claim its fair share of the transport revenue pool.
Solution
Phase 1: Infrared counting at launch (2002)
When the metro opened in 2002, Acorel deployed its IRTech automatic passenger counting solution, with infrared sensors positioned above the platform screen doors at each station entrance. This solution immediately provided reliable traffic data from day one, enabling the operator to submit quarterly traffic reports and participate in the revenue-sharing arrangement with its transport partners. The IRTech system provided counting accuracy in the range of 95 to 96% a solid foundation, but one that would need to improve as the network and its financial obligations grew.
Right from the start, we were able to provide traffic data with an accuracy of 95 to 96%.
Phase 2: LidarTech upgrade (2013)
With this technology, we achieve an accuracy of 99.2%.
In 2013, the metro operator took the decision to modernise its counting infrastructure by transitioning to Acorel’s LidarTech laser sensor technology. This represented a significant leap in both precision and robustness. Rather than replacing the old system overnight, the operator ran the LidarTech sensors in parallel with the existing infrared sensors for one full year, allowing for thorough validation and comparison of results. Once the parallel operation period confirmed the superior accuracy and reliability of the new system, the infrared sensors were decommissioned. Four to six LidarTech sensors are installed at the entrance to each station, providing complete coverage of all passenger flows entering and exiting the metro.
Phase 3: Full network rollout (2017)
By 2017, the LidarTech solution had been deployed across all 44 stations in the network. The system operates in real time, with counting data transmitted every minute to Acorel’s FOCUS Web software platform. FOCUS consolidates all incoming data and produces both standardised monitoring reports for regulatory and revenue-sharing purposes and customised analytical reports for operational planning. The remote monitoring capability of the FOCUS platform is a particularly important feature for day-to-day reliability. An integrated alarm system immediately flags any sensor anomaly or deviation, enabling Acorel’s support team or the operator’s own technical staff to diagnose and resolve issues remotely, without requiring an on-site intervention for every incident.
An alarm warns of the slightest unavailability. We can diagnose the problem remotely. This facilitates maintenance and significantly reduces the number and duration of operations at stations.
Outcomes
Benefits
The Acorel automatic passenger counting solution has delivered a comprehensive set of benefits to the north european metro operator, spanning financial performance, operational capability, and strategic positioning:
Verified revenue collection: Accurate, audited passenger counts ensure the operator receives its full and fair share of pooled transport revenue, with data accepted by all partner operators.
99.2% counting accuracy: A step-change improvement from the previous 95-96% baseline, achieved through the transition to LidarTech LIDAR sensors.
Real-time occupancy intelligence: Live passenger flow data across all 44 stations, updated every minute, enabling proactive crowd management and staffing decisions.
Reduced overcrowding: Actionable real-time data allows the operator to identify and respond to capacity pressure before it becomes a passenger experience problem.
Smarter maintenance scheduling: Granular traffic data by line, station, hour, and day enables maintenance to be scheduled at minimum-impact times, reducing disruption to passengers and service reliability.
Remote monitoring and fast incident resolution: Integrated alarms and remote diagnostics capability reduce the need for on-site interventions and minimise sensor downtime.
Scalable for growth: The system reliably supports 125.6 million annual passengers and is equipped to handle the forecast 135 million passenger threshold by 2025.
Long-term partnership value: A 22-year relationship between the Metro operator and Acorel, with continuous technology evolution from IRTech to LidarTech, ensuring the system always meets current and future operational needs.
Revenue integrity and growth
The primary purpose of the counting system is to underpin the operator’s revenue claims within the multi-operator sharing framework. With counting accuracy validated at 99.2%, the Metro operator can submit its quarterly traffic reports with full confidence that the data will be accepted by its transport partners. This is not a trivial achievement: in a cooperative model where any disputed figure can delay or reduce revenue payments, verifiable accuracy is a competitive and financial necessity. In 2024, the Metro transported 125.6 million passengers, representing an increase of 6 million compared to 2023. With an average ticket price of €3.20, the operator is well-positioned to capture the revenue generated by this growth. The counting system is the mechanism that makes this possible. Without it, the operator could not substantiate its revenue entitlement to the other operators in the consortium.
Looking ahead, the operator is forecasting passenger volumes of 135 million for 2025. Thanks to the scalability and reliability of the Acorel system, the operator is confident in its ability to handle this growth and to continue accurately accounting for every journey.
Operational planning and maintenance optimisation
Beyond revenue management, the granular data produced by the counting system has become an indispensable tool for network planning and maintenance scheduling. The FOCUS platform allows the operator to analyse passenger flows line by line, station by station, hour by hour, and day by day. This level of detail supports a wide range of operational decisions, from staffing and crowd management to infrastructure investment prioritisation.
When we have to carry out work on trains which can reduce frequency of service or close a station for work, counting helps us select periods which will have the least impact on traffic
For maintenance planning, the ability to identify low-traffic periods is particularly valuable. When maintenance work requires reducing service frequency, closing a station, or conducting partial line closures, the counting data allows the operator to schedule these operations at times when the impact on passengers is minimised. In the event of a partial line closure, the data also directly informs the sizing of any substitute transport provision required.
Trust, verification, and continuous accuracy assurance
The accuracy of the Acorel system is not simply claimed it is independently verified. The metro operator commissions regular audits in which an independent company conducts manual counting campaigns and compares the results with those of the Acorel automated system. These audits consistently confirm the 99.2% accuracy level, maintaining the operator’s credibility with its partners and with regulatory authorities.
A very high level of reliability. We can trust our counting data
The independent inspection process is also a key element of the operator’s internal governance. By regularly validating the counting data, the operator ensures that it can stand behind every traffic report it submits and every revenue claim it makes. This creates a virtuous cycle of trust: partners accept the data, revenue is distributed fairly, and the operator has the financial resources to invest in further network improvements.
| Metric | Before / Baseline | After Acorel solution |
|---|---|---|
| Counting accuracy | 95-96% (IRTech infrared) | 99.2% (LidarTech LIDAR) |
| Revenue verification | Estimated / Disputed | Audited & certified |
| Maintenance scheduling | Reactive / Manual | Data-driven, minimal disruption |
| Sensor remote monitoring | Not available | Real-time alarm & remote diagnosis |
