Passengers waiting for the tube will have no shortage of distractions now that 14-foot HDTV screens are being installed in stations.
The cross-track projection (XTP) system, which allows high-quality digital images to be projected on to the walls opposite platforms, has been installed by advertising company CBS Outdoor for London Underground.
The system, which formally went live on Monday, means that commuters waiting for trains are now faced with moving advertising images displayed on the biggest screens in Europe
Any profits London Underground receives from XTP will be reinvested to improve the Tube.
Before rolling out the ads to other stations the system was tested at Euston Tube station.
Following the success of the pilot, stations at Piccadilly Circus, Euston, Bank, Liverpool Street and Bond Street have now been kitted out with 23 high definition projectors and giant soundless screens that will show trailers for new film releases and other advertising.
Further stations are scheduled to host XTP technology, which will take the number of screens to 150, which, according to London Undeground, makes it the biggest and most sophisticated system of its kind in Europe.
Richard Parry, strategy and service director for London Underground said the technology would enhance passengers’ journeys.
“The Tube has a history of innovation and these hi-tech screens are a perfect complement to the major upgrade work carried out by London Underground in delivering a world-class Tube for a world-class city,” he said.
CBS Outdoor was awarded a £1.5bn contract to manage advertising on the London Underground in June 2006.
The media company’s soundless screens are all linked to a new digital advertising network enabling messages to be changed remotely and instantaneously.
In total, CBS Outdoor’s £72m investment programme includes the installation of 2,000 digital screens across the Tube network and, to date, 1,034 digital screens have been installed, including 181 LCD screens, 830 digital escalator panels and 23 XTP screens.
All the non-digital sites are currently being replaced with new ‘dry-posting’ material which allows all internal posters to be recycled, removing the need for glue and avoiding 96 tonnes of paper going into landfill every year.
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