SJ & Crystal Alarm: A lone worker alarm system built for rail

How Sweden's national passenger rail operator has protected its onboard staff with an integrated lone worker safety solution since 2012.

The challenge: A lone worker system that works on a moving train

Lone worker safety in the transport sector is one of the most technically demanding problems to solve. A solution that performs reliably in an office or a building rarely holds up on a moving train, where signal coverage fluctuates, and staff work alone or in small groups across multiple carriages. This means that the alarm chain has to reach the receiver instantly, not within minutes.

Transport workers face some of the highest rates of workplace violence of any sector. A recent survey of more than 6,000 rail, bus, and metro workers in the UK found that 63% had experienced workplace violence in the previous year, with more than 85% of those workers reporting multiple incidents. The RMT transport union has identified reducing assaults on rail workers as its principal health and safety priority for 2026, and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has listed work-related violence as one of the highest-risk areas across Britain's mainline railway.

The pattern is consistent across Europe: frontline rail staff such as conductors, on-board crew, and station personnel are regularly isolated and regularly confronted with distressed or aggressive passengers and regularly in situations where calling for help openly risks escalating the incident.

For SJ AB, they faced similar challenges and needed a solution that worked seamlessly in a moving environment. On-board staff interact daily with thousands of passengers in an environment that can shift rapidly, from a routine journey to a disorder incident, a medical emergency among passengers, or a technically complex task such as shunting, often without a colleague within reach. For SJ, a functioning personal alarm system was not a discretionary element of its health and safety programme. It was a core operational requirement.

The Solution: An integrated lone worker alarm platform

Crystal Alarm was implemented at SJ as an integrated platform combining three components: a mobile app, a dedicated alarm device, and system integrations with SJ's traffic control and staff planning infrastructure. Together, these components form a complete lone worker safety chain that reflects how SJ's operations actually function.

Overview

Organisation:

SJ AB, Sweden's leading long-distance passenger rail operator

Sector:

Public transport, rail

Partnership since:

2012

Solution:

Crystal Alarm mobile app + Crystal Button CB20 + system integration

Vad tycker SJ?

"Med Crystal Alarm har vi skapat en larmkedja som verkligen fungerar. Våra medarbetare kan larma diskret via larmknappen vid hot om våld och vi har möjlighet att larma med "Man Down" funktionalitet när vår personal utför riskfyllda arbetsmoment där det finns risk för olycka . Larmet går direkt till vår interna larmcentral och kollegor, och vi får position och kommunikation utan fördröjning. Det ger trygghet för personalen och kontroll för oss som arbetsgivare."

— Anders Edgren, Systemansvarig Personlarm, Alkoskåp, Kroppsburen Kamera, SJ AB

Find out how Crystal Alarm works for transport teams

Late-night shifts, isolated stations, lone drivers, and transport teams face risks that most safety solutions aren't designed for. Crystal Alarm gives your staff a fast, discreet way to raise an alarm and share their location the moment they need help. Tell us about your setup and we'll tailor the conversation accordingly.