Project Presentation: All Trains in Urban-Suburban Transport to Receive Communication Boards

Zagreb Central Station Becomes the First Railway Station in Croatia Equipped with Communication Boards

ZAGREB, 6 December 2024 - HŽ Infrastruktura, in collaboration with the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM), HŽ Passenger Transport, the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences (ERF), and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) at the University of Zagreb, introduced communication boards this Friday, 6 December, at Zagreb Central Station. The boards have been installed on Platform 1 near the station building.

Comunication boards are visual tools designed to enhance communication between passengers and staff. They are tailored to the needs of persons with disabilities, individuals with intellectual and motor impairments, those on the autism spectrum, and anyone who experiences difficulties communicating through speech. This project marks a significant step forward towards inclusive railway transport, making travel easier for individuals with complex communication needs.

The Accessibility 2024 Project was presented by Prof. Dr. Željka Car from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Prof. Dr. Jasmina Ivšac Pavliša from the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, Eva Pavić, a board member of the Autism Association ASK, and Kristijan Solina from HAKOM's Railway Services Sector Subhi Tawfiq, a member of the Management Board of HŽ Infrastruktura, and Željko Ukić, CEO of HŽ Passenger Transport, also spoke about the role of undertakings and operators in implementing the project and the next steps to improve communication between passengers and staff.

Zagreb Central Station has become the first railway station in Croatia to feature communication boards. On this occasion, HŽ Passenger Transport also unveiled the first train equipped with a communication board, part of a total of 24 trains set to be equipped.

It is essential to highlight that communication boards have become a crucial tool for enabling clear and straightforward communication for individuals with communication difficulties. In addition to facilitating navigation at railway stations and on trains, the boards have another goal — raising awareness about the importance of accessibility and universal design in public spaces.

With this initiative, railway passenger transport in Croatia will take a step closer to an inclusive society where all passengers, regardless of their individual needs, can equally utilise public transport. Through the Accessibility programme at HAKOM, we have been addressing observed challenges in the markets of electronic communications, postal services, and railways for quite some time, sharing acquired knowledge on issues concerning persons with disabilities. The programme is extremely important to HAKOM as a regulator that cares for all service users, especially the most vulnerable groups in society. It is currently HAKOM's longest-running uninterrupted project collaboration with the academic community, particularly with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing," stated Kristijan Solina on this occasion.