Orlaco SideView for Railway applications

Whether it's a view of the passengers or of what is occuring on the platforms, good visibility is indispensable to a public transportion operator. A clear view of the situation in and around the tram? Transport Organization HTM has opted for a driving convenience of reliable monitor images in combination with a maintenance-friendly camera system. Now, 47 trams in The Hague have replaced their mirrors with Orlaco cameras.


As many as 350,000 passengers travel each day with HTM transport. Public transport in a city like The Hague is very important to its economic and sustainable development. In the city, the tram operator has to deal with many perplexing situations. The HTM trams were previously equipped with mirrors this proved to be too precarious a solution in practice. The mirrors were replaced by robust Orlaco camera and monitor systems in 47 trams.

Avoiding dangerous situations
Visibility in public transport is a necessity: the operator must be able to see passengers boarding, that the situation is safe before departing. On the exterior of the tram, the right hand side, has ‘Dome’ style cameras mounted above the doors. Each camera is focused on one of the five doors, allowing the operator to see passengers board and disembark from the dashboard-mounted monitor. An additional advantage is the view that the cameras give the operator while at the platform, reducing the risk of accidents. The cameras also offer insight into what was previously a blind spot for the operator. An operator not only benefits from clear views when standing still, but also when driving with a sharp overview of the situation. Operators driving with mirrors for thirty years, feel this permanent view on the right side of the tram to be a great advantage.

Cost efficiency
Cameras are a cost-effective solution to substitute for mirrors, which were often replaced due to susceptibility of the brackets. More and more public transport entities are becoming interested in the high quality standards of Orlaco camera and monitor systems, which are characterized as reliable and resilient. A proven system in public transport has convinced HTM to go for the Orlaco vision systems. Partner Ajax Chubb Varel shares a positive opinion of the installation.