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The design of modern rail and underground stations is complex and in emergency situations the ability for passengers to navigate to a place of safety, is hindered by a lack of knowledge of the station and the most suitable means of escape. Emergency signage is an essential aid to reducing the time spent searching for an escape route but signage can be difficult to see and does not react to the developing emergency.

GETAWAY aims to design and trial an innovative and intelligent emergency signage system for real-time direction of transport terminal passengers during the evacuation of a transport terminal in the event of an emergency, which will route terminal passengers according to the development of the evacuation incident.

Two trials of the system are planned at a London Underground station and at an over ground station in Barcelona involving a cross section of members of the public.

The long term aim is for the rail terminal designers to be able to trial new terminal designs on the computer, modelling the efficiency of evacuation procedures with or without the new emergency signage system in place. This will provide not only a demonstration of the potential benefits of the emergency signage system, but also a mechanism by which terminal design can be verified quickly, cheaply and effectively.