TV on the train?

[packetswitch]

http://www.thestar.com/article/198054

The GO train is putting its passengers a little closer to their living rooms by installing TV screens on its rail cars.

The screens are showing news, weather, entertainment and sports highlights, but are designed as an advertising vehicle with the expectation they'll raise $8 million for the transit authority over 10 years.

GO trains are commuter services in and out of Toronto; they use those nifty little hexagon-shaped double-decker coaches that I've talked about before.

I've seen the 'infoscreen' model in great action on the City-Airport Train (the expensive one) in Vienna, and found it quite funky, especially coming from an airport to a city, as it gave the essential information in a very clear fashion.

One innovative thing about the GO plan is that they will broadcast the accompanying audio on the FM band, so you can 'listen in', but those that don't want to listen don't have to. I'm normally not too welcoming of new ways to get commercial messages into my eyelids while in 'public space' but given that commuter trains already carry advertising, I don't think this would be an unbearable addition - and if the information is useful, it would be a great thing to think about...