Transport teams are spread out by design: officers across a network of stations, drivers on the road, enforcement staff on patrol across a whole borough. Traditional two-way radios struggle to cover that kind of distance without masts and repeaters. Storm’s push-to-talk radios work like the radios your team already knows (press a button and talk), but they use mobile networks and Wi-Fi, so your people can stay in touch wherever there is mobile network coverage.
The communication problems transport teams bring to us
Calls that drop out across a wide network
Stations, depots, routes and patrol areas are rarely in one place. A traditional radio system needs masts and repeaters to cover them, and coverage gaps appear at the worst moments. Push-to-talk over cellular uses mobile networks instead and can switch between networks and Wi-Fi, which is how it solved the dropped calls Northern Trains’ station security officers were having. Coverage still depends on the network in each area, so we’ll look at your routes and sites with you before you decide.
Old radio systems that are expensive to extend
Adding new areas to a traditional radio network can mean new masts, repeaters and maintenance costs. With push-to-talk over cellular there is no radio infrastructure to install. As your operation grows, you add handsets and licences.
Paper timesheets, checklists and incident reports
Storm’s workforce management tools replace paper timesheets, checklists and reports with forms on the handset. Supervisors can see time and attendance, and incidents are reported while staff are still on shift, not at the end of it.
What your team gets
- Instant group and one-to-one calls. Set up talk groups by station, route, depot or shift, and still call one person directly when you need to.
- One device instead of several. Voice, messages, photos, video and location on one rugged handset, so staff aren’t carrying a radio and a phone.
- A control room view of your people and vehicles. The dispatch console runs in a web browser and shows live locations on a map, so controllers can talk to individuals or groups and send the nearest person to an incident.
- Help at the press of a button. An SOS button sends an alert with the user’s location. Our lone worker features add man down alerts, activity monitoring and check-ins for staff working on their own.
- In-vehicle options. For drivers, Storm’s push-to-talk works with truck-mounted devices as well as handhelds, so they aren’t reaching for a mobile phone.
- A record to look back on. Communications can be recorded, so you can review an incident afterwards.
Transport teams already using Storm
Station security for Northern Trains
Amulet provides Transport Security Officers for Northern Trains stations. In areas of weaker coverage, their previous push-to-talk system was dropping calls, often at important moments. Storm’s solution solved the coverage and switching problems and was rolled out to officers across the whole Northern region on rugged handsets. Later phases of the project include lone worker features and a dispatch console for the Northern control room at Manchester Victoria station.
“We are delighted that our partnership with Northern Trains and Storm has proved so successful. Keeping our TSOs safe is our number one priority and the range of lone worker features in Storm’s solution enables us to keep track of them and respond quickly in the event of an emergency. Feedback from the TSOs has been overwhelmingly positive. Great work Storm! Thank you.”
Saul Ashworth, Account Manager, Northern Trains, Amulet
Read the Northern Trains case study and watch the film
Parking enforcement for Charnwood Borough Council
Charnwood Borough Council’s civil parking enforcement officers patrol a 108-square-mile borough with some hard-to-reach locations, where traditional radios would have needed repeater masts. Through our partner Leversedge, the council equipped officers with rugged Android handsets running Storm’s push-to-talk, with SOS alerts and GPS location, and uses the dispatch console to direct officers where they are needed.
“We operate over a large borough with some challenging locations where traditional radios won’t work without significant investment on repeater masts and infrastructure. Storm’s PTT solution, provided by Leversedge, suited our needs, not only by utilising existing mobile data networks but also by offering valuable mapping software for lone worker support.”
Scott Sims, Street Environment Manager, Charnwood Borough Council
Read the Charnwood parking enforcement case study
Tipper wagon fleet at Wordsworth Excavations
Wordsworth Excavations runs a large fleet, including more than 25 eight-wheeler tipper wagons. It equipped its wagons with Storm’s push-to-talk, using a mix of truck-mounted and rugged devices, so the office can locate vehicles and reach every driver at once. Read the Wordsworth fleet case study
Airports and logistics
Leeds Bradford Airport replaced its two-way radio system with Storm’s push-to-talk and dispatch console, becoming one of the first airports in Europe to make the move. See our aviation page and the Leeds Bradford Airport case study. For warehouses, distribution and haulage, see our logistics and supply chain page.
Questions transport managers ask us
Will it work across our whole network?
Push-to-talk over cellular works wherever there is mobile network coverage or a Wi-Fi connection, so it isn’t limited by the range between handsets or the reach of a mast. Coverage varies by location, so we’ll talk through your routes and sites before you decide.
Do we need masts or repeaters?
No. The service runs over existing mobile networks, so there is no radio infrastructure to install or maintain.
Can our control room see where staff and vehicles are?
Yes. The dispatch console shows live locations on a map, with alerts if someone presses SOS.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the devices you choose, your service plan and how many people, vehicles and sites you need to cover. Tell us about your operation and we’ll give you a clear quote.
Talk to Storm about your transport team
Tell us how many people and vehicles you need to connect, the area you cover and where communication lets you down today. We’ll show you how Storm would work for your operation.
Contact Storm or call 01423 513335.
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