In November 1987, a devastating fire took hold at King’s Cross London Underground Station, where 31 people were killed and 19 seriously injured. It was concluded that the fatalities would have been greatly reduced had there been a spoken voice alarm to direct the passengers out of the station.
In response to the tragedy, London Underground Ltd (LUL) ensured that installation of voice alarm across all 130+ stations was given high priority. The tragedy prompted the evolution of the first nationally recognised standards for Public Address and Voice Alarm (PAVA).
Certified to the most stringent voice alarm and safety standards, including EN54-16, Zenitel’s PAVA solutions met LUL’s safety needs.
The Solution
Zenitel’s solution began with the design and development of SIL2 rated matrix control and micro control products for LUL in 1993. From here, Zenitel then began developing their comprehensive PAVA and Long Line Public Address (LLPA) product ranges, adopting SIL2 standards for both hardware and software design.
Throughout the system, Zenitel pioneered the use of Adaptive Class D amplification with fanless cooling and DSP routing. These unique developments in voice alarm technology gave marked improvements in space utilisation, energy efficiency and Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) performance.
In this interview, Henry Rawlins, VP of Marketing and Product Management at BU Transportation Solutions at Zenitel, discusses the unique cybersecurity challenges in the PAVA market, the industry's response to evolving regulations, and how Zenitel is leading the way in securing voice alarm systems.
Zenitel has delivered a unified audio platform that manages all critical communication needs under one umbrella. Using a single operator telephone, the hospital security personnel are now able to manage operational, security, and safety communications.
Zenitel’s helps keeping people and asset safe, secure, and informed. We are proud to see our solutions meeting critical communication needs to a hospital that is busy serving a thriving community in Kalnes, Norway.
Zenitel and B-TEK Scales are streamlining logistics with a self-service truck scale intercom solution with noise cancelling that provides clear communication between truck drivers and scale operators.
The Avani Hotel, renowned for its comfort and connections, is situated in the heart of Dubai next to the famous Ibn Battuta Mall. Seeking to improve
the audio experience for guests, the hotel commissioned a professional distributed AV system to provide zonal background music (BGM) and live paging coverage across the building’s fifteen floors.
Holmestrand train station is a station engineered into the mountainside of the Holmestrand municipality along a tunnel 12km in length. The client needed a PAVA system for train station. It had to deliver high STI levels in challenging, highly reverberant environments. The system also needed to offer proven reliability and performance without compromising full EN 54 compliance.
Göteborg Landvetter Airport is undertaking several expansion projects to enhance terminal facilities, parking, and essential services, improving the passenger experience. A key component is the implementation of a new state-of-the-art Public Address and Voice Alarm System for airports.
This customer success story reflects on the needs of the customer - London Continental Railways (LCR) and Union Railways North (UCN) and how Zenitel's railways public address system (from Zenitel's Transportation Solution portfolio) helped them achieve the results.
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) needed a Long-Line Public Address (LLPA) system for their network. This network serves central and east London, including Lewisham, Tower Gateway, Bank, London City Airport, and Canary Wharf.
Let your voice be heard with our Stadium and Arena Sound System. Zenitel, an audio industry-leading expert, delivered a comprehensive EN54 compliant, multi-zoned sound system for the U-Arena’s public and performance spaces. Our audio communication solution is designed specifically for stadiums and arenas, ensuring top-notch audio quality and performance.
HEINRICH India, a leading provider of rail audio solutions across India, and Telecom contractor Larsen & Toubro secured the project. They were to design and deliver an integrated state-of-the-art Passenger Announcement System (PAS) and Passenger Information Display System (PIDS). This project aimed to realize MahaMetro’s commitment to Nagpur.
Zenitel delivered a Long Line IP-based Monitored Public Address system to railway stations throughout Scotland, combined with a centralised control system to help provide effective remote monitoring and control of ScotRail’s sites.
Zenitel delivered an integrated audio solution, site-wide PAVA/BGM system for the world-renowned exhibition of innovation, technology and sustainability.
Zenitel delivered VIPA Public Address technology to provide clear audio over the full 118km length of the Crossrail Elizabeth Line. This included delivery of station PAVA systems and IP integration to the line control system.
In what seemed like overnight, the COVID pandemic altered the way that we live – from how we socially interacted, to how and where we spend personal time, to travel, and more.
