Rotterdam subway testing music, scents to soothe commuters

Transporter RET launched an experiment with music and scents in subway stations in Rotterdam this week. The idea is that more pleasant surroundings will lead to calmer commuters.

RET has already been pumping pleasant scents and music into Rotterdam Central Station for several months. According to the transporter, travelers at the station felt more comfortable and experienced shorter waiting times. RET therefore decided to expand the experiment to more stations.

"We are always working to see how we can make the journey even more comfortable for our customers. New vehicles, clean stations, decoration of our stations, shops to optimally use waiting times, free wifi on a number of stations and in all our vehicles." said RET CEO Pedro Peters on the transporter's website. "By adding scent, sound and light travelers feel more comfortable at our stations and they experience shorter waiting times."

According to RET, the specially developed scent mix is made from natural aromas and enhances the feeling of safety and cleanliness. The specially formulated playlist ensures that the music is subtle and is adapted to the time of day and crowds in the station.