How a Czech firm turns London Underground cars into revenue

The Czech company Passengera, led by Jan Kolář, has landed a role in one of Europe's largest transport projects — the modernisation of the London Underground. Its technology will manage the multimedia content and advertising shown on the onboard screens of the new Piccadilly line trains, one of the busiest lines in the British capital.

“We're turning trains into a source of revenue,” is how Kolář simply sums up the project. Passengera has already installed similar solutions for clients in 17 countries around the world — from Canada to New Zealand, including trains in Switzerland and the metro in Saudi Arabia. Now the list also includes London's transport operator, TfL.

“It's an example of how a small Czech technology company can become part of the supply chain for one of the largest transport projects in Europe,” the entrepreneur notes. According to him, each new train will be fitted with 130 screens: some will show standard route and stop information, while others will carry multimedia and commercial content.

The main technological challenge, according to Kolář, is not video playback itself but synchronisation: a passenger may see several screens at once, so the content on each must match with virtually no delay, and the system has to handle large volumes of data in real time. Advertising can also be tailored to a specific station, showing offers from nearby businesses and services.

The story of Czech involvement in the project began back in 2018, when Germany's Siemens won the tender to supply 94 new trains for the Piccadilly line. Two years later, Siemens' partner Annax, which supplies onboard information systems for trains, brought in Passengera to build a prototype. The prototype was approved in 2022, but delivery of the trains itself was delayed — Siemens had to build a new factory. In addition, Transport for London's cybersecurity requirements increased, meaning Passengera's solution still needs to be fine-tuned before it goes live. Siemens will unveil the new trains in September in Berlin, and they are due to enter service in London in the first half of next year.

For Passengera itself, which employs 34 people, the London project is being completed against the backdrop of rapid business growth. While the company's revenue stood at 58.3 million crowns with an operating profit (EBIT) of 6.1 million crowns in 2023, last year those figures rose to 124.4 million crowns in revenue and 15.7 million crowns in profit. “Right now we're growing by expanding into new markets and through new verticals such as autonomous transport and ships,” says Kolář, adding that the company is also open to partnering with strategic investors.