Web-based Solution for Metro Passenger Information Display (PIDs): Why Browser/Server Architecture is the Future

Browser/Server (B/S) Architecture for PIDs，By using a web engine to power Passenger Information Displays, metro systems can provide more reliable, flexible, and cost-effective real-time information to passengers.

Daniel

7/7/20253 min read

Metro Passenger Information Display Systems (PIDs) play a crucial role in providing real-time information to passengers, including arrival times, service updates, and safety announcements. Traditionally, these systems rely on LED or LCD displays connected to asynchronous control boxes (such as Raspberry Pi, IPCs, or other embedded devices) in a Client/Server (C/S) architecture.

However, this traditional approach presents several limitations and maintenance challenges.

Challenges of Traditional PIDs Using C/S Architecture

In a C/S-based Passenger Information Display system, the server pushes data to front-end devices over TCP/IP. The devices are responsible for parsing, rendering, and displaying the information on LED or LCD panels.

Key disadvantages of this method include:

High hardware dependency: Front-end devices need sufficient resources and processing power to render complex layouts and animations.
Inconsistent display quality: The final displayed content may differ from the server’s intended design due to local parsing or rendering differences.
Difficult upgrades and maintenance: Updating the layout or logic often requires updates on every front-end device, which increases downtime and operational costs.

Next-Generation Solution: Browser/Server (B/S) Architecture for PIDs

To overcome these limitations, we introduce a Web-based Metro Passenger Information Display system, leveraging a Browser/Server (B/S) architecture.

In this innovative approach:

The server generates complete HTML, CSS, and JavaScript content, handling all layout design and business logic centrally.
The front-end display devices only need to run a browser or a lightweight web engine to show the content exactly as the server intends.

Advantages of Web-based PIDs Using B/S Architecture

✅ High display consistency: What you see on the server is exactly what passengers see on all screens.
✅ Lower hardware requirements: Devices can be minimal, as they no longer need to parse or process data locally.
✅ Centralized maintenance and updates: All changes are pushed from the server, reducing the need to manually update each display.
✅ Scalable and flexible: Any device capable of running a browser (even entry-level embedded devices) can be seamlessly integrated.
✅ Cost efficiency: Lower upfront device cost and reduced long-term maintenance expenses.

Additional Benefits of Web-based Passenger Information Display

🌟 Real-time remote management: Operators can monitor and update content instantly from a centralized control center.
🌟 Easy integration of rich media: Videos, animations, dynamic charts, and interactive elements can be integrated effortlessly using modern web technologies.
🌟 High availability and redundancy: Centralized content reduces the risk of display inconsistency or local failures.

Why Choose a Web-based Metro PIDs System?

By using a web engine to power Passenger Information Displays, metro systems can provide more reliable, flexible, and cost-effective real-time information to passengers.

Switching to a Browser/Server model modernizes the entire infrastructure, aligns with global web technology trends, and offers a future-proof solution for public transit networks.

At the end of this article, we've included a live demo showcasing our web-based PID solution — featuring real-time train numbers, destinations, schedules, scrolling announcements, and blinking alerts, all fully rendered through modern web technologies.

This flexible, browser-driven approach not only ensures a seamless and visually consistent passenger experience, but also dramatically reduces hardware requirements and maintenance costs.

Ready to modernize your passenger information system? Get in touch with us today — our team will help you design a tailored, high-impact solution that meets your operational and branding needs.