New Products, Services and Technologies at IT-Trans 2016

Travel information, Communication Technologies, Security and Safety Systems

Innovative Display Systems

Real-time information to all stop points

Axentia is showcasing its innovative iBus Display System for public transport. Addressing the two key issues of simple installation and secure 2-way communication, the iBus Display System uses battery-powered displays using GSM/3G communication. The major advantages of having a display system for public transport that runs on batteries is low procurement cost, low installation cost, and a very simple and fast installation procedure.

With a battery operation time exceeding 3 years, the service cost is very low. Further, using a wireless communication based on GSM/3G removes any cabling cost and enables any public transport network to start using the iBus Display System. With the iBus Display System, you can get started immediately, and increase the deployment as needs arise.

Real-time information services can now be afforded over larger areas, bringing up to date information to all the places where it was previously not economically feasible to implement before. Any size of public transport network and any geographical spread of the network can use the iBus Display System.

Ariane: Central Data Hub for Real-Time Passenger Information

BBR Verkehrstechnik, founded in 1990 in Brunswick, Germany, develops electronic systems and components for the rail industry and for real-time passenger information systems.

Starting with the DPI server Ariane which identifies the location of the vehicles via GPRS/GPS modems installed and reporting these to the control center, over the MOFIS Console Manager which provides the operating staff with a graphical overview, showing the status and current contents of the displays as well as malfunctions, up to the product family MOFIS MEDIA — all components of the MOFIS System are purchasable individually or as a package.

The Ariane DPI server comprises an integrated data server as well as all interfaces widely used by public transport services. It covers the common DV interfaces 452, 453, 454 and 461 and various proprietary interfaces e.g. to interlock units or Excel import formats for the nominal data import. The VDV interfaces are in use not only for data import, but also for exporting data to adjacent public transport carriers or associations. Thanks to this system layout, a display of dynamic data in the internet or on mobile devices can be achieved easily. Therefore, the Ariane server can also operate as a central data hub. In this role, ARIANE can take advantage of its vehicle- and tour-based perspective. The purchase of a separate central data hub is thus not necessary.

Interactive 46-inch full-HD touchscreen terminals (MOFIS MEDIA.MIP), suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments, provide, in addition to access to scheduled itineraries and real-time passenger information, a fixed map of the rail network and an interactive map of the train stations, as well as display access points to other forms of public transport. All BBR displays are housed in vandal-proof casings and include an optional text-to-speech function for DPI, ensuring barrier-free access for visually impaired and blind persons.

E-paper Display DeZign Sets New Benchmarks

DeZign stands for an electronic display system with zero energy consumption as it is based on e-paper technology. There is no need for costly paper exchanges to accommodate timetable or route changes. From a central office timetables can easily be adjusted with minimal environmental impact at the push of a button. The e-paper technology does not require any energy to display fixed content. Public transportation companies no longer need to drive around to each stop. As a result, operation maintenance and service costs can be drastically reduced.

Additional functions, which will be presented at the IT-Trans 2016 in Karlsruhe, make the e-paper display deZign from dresden elektronik even more appealing for the operator. An extended function is an integrated LCD panel to display real-time data e.g. at stops. This modification of a simplified dynamic passenger information system is characterised by its cost efficiency. With the integration of a vandalism proof push button the user has the possibility to switch the content itself on site. Several images can be held which the user can choose from. An additional feature is text-to-speech.

Here again, there is an integrated push button which reads the content out loud while operating. In doing so, it is also possible to announce special information operated from a central station.

As yet, there has been the classical variant Urban Station in a stainless steel or plastic case. Thereby, the display system gets integrated into an existing infrastructure and the data can be transmitted in three ways: serial interface, cellular radio or DAB+. The energy self-sufficient variant Green Station is currently in a test period. Using solar power updates can be performed and transmitted either via cellular radio or via DAB+. deZign features high-resolution (1.920 x 1.280) content on a 217 x 326 mm screen. With the combination of great display features, very low power consumption and environmentally resistant components deZign sets new benchmarks in the field of digital signage.

A Complete Rail Passenger Information System

LANCom PIS is a passenger information system, intended to inform the public transport system users of the current train timetables statuses. It has been designed on the industry‘s best practices, using modern web technologies and a well-considered architecture. This combination leads to an exclusive user experience, simultaneously decreasing the costs of system maintenance. It is monitored and managed from the central web interface, providing information to dislocated units. It contains modules for integration and external data processing. A high level of security, scalability and data accessibility is provided.

The system is composed of several components — both hardware and software. The core of the hardware structure is a server system, connected to the optical IP network, and designed on the Windows server platform. Two display technologies are used to present Passenger Information: LCD/TFT and LED. All the displays can be installed indoors or outdoors (Ingress Protection rating up to IP66). Audio announcements are supported based on AoE technology.

LANCom PIS Software Solution

LANCom PIS Software Solution represents the core component of its passenger information system. It is built on the latest Web technologies, which are based on the client-server architecture with no additional installations on the client‘s side. It has been developed using years of experience in software development. The software provides both — a video and audio information feed, both of which are synchronized in order to keep the passengers free from any confusion. The system is therefore monitored and managed from a single central Web interface, providing corresponding
information to dislocated units (displays and audio speakers). It contains modules for integration and external data processing (timetables, train calendars, delays, etc.).

LANCom PIS Software Solution is scalable, responsive, robust, and reliable and is fully compliant with the latest standards in this area of expertise.

How it works

The software obtains all relevant information on the next arriving or departing train at a certain time-point from a database, simultaneously using received data from signalling technologies in order to correct the visual and audio train information, such as train delays or notification messages. Remote support, diagnostics and problem-solving is supported. The system is also fully expandable in terms of adding new equipment (displays, speakers and servers) to the PIS network. It also enables expansion to other stations and lines in the future.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Using maps, signs and intuition to find the right and, above all, best route does not come naturally to everyone. This is why cars have had success with navigation systems for some time, mainly because they are able to safely and accurately guide drivers with a friendly voice to their destinations. But as soon as passenger leave their own car, they have to fend for themselves.

Within the scope of the Dynamo research project, Mentz has now developed the first multimodal trip companion in app format which accompanies passengers from door-to-door. Named ‘companion,’ this app plans trips from one’s current location to a final destination while taking into account all means of transport, real-time information and incident messages. This information can then be used to select a particular trip strategy, whether it be riding a bike to the station , driving there by car, renting the closest available vehicle for the entire trip or using several other viable options. After the trip has been planned, the companion is activated and guides passengers visually and verbally along the way: “In 50m turn right …. At stop ‘Grillparzerstraße,’ take bus 54 towards ‘Münchner Freiheit’ ….get off at the next stop …” If incidents occur during travel which affect the planned route, passengers stay informed: the trip time may be recalculated and, if necessary, an alternative route will be provided.

Mobility services are growing faster than ever, yet sources for transport information are often limited to only a small section. Until now, information that can meaningfully combine the different public transport offerings has only been fragmentary at best. The companion bridges this gap and provides users continuous, individually-customized and optimal trip planning, all from one app without information having to be tediously compiled from different sources. Multimodal trips are thus made easy.

The MRB App “Info & Ticket” — Transdev and TAF Sign the Contract for Modern Passenger Information in Real Time

Transdev GmbH has placed the order with TAF mobile GmbH, the Jena-based IT service provider for public transport, to introduce a new cell phone and ticket application for its trans regio subsidiary‘s route network. The company operates local trains along the Rhine between Mainz, Koblenz and Cologne under the MittelrheinBahn brand name.

From August 2015 passengers using the MittelrheinBahn railway and local public transport in the surrounding area will be able to purchase many rail tickets quickly and easily via a Smartphone using the “MittelrheinBahn app”. Paying for tickets is easy via the user‘s cell phone invoice or an appropriate prepaid account: other alternatives are direct debit and credit card payments. The MittelrheinBahn app can be downloaded free of charge in app stores for iPhone and Android phones.

"As a modern transport company, the new MittelrheinBahn app is an important medium for improved communication with our customers
who, even today, are very demanding and live in a multimedia world. With TAF mobile GmbH we have skilled and experienced IT experts to assist us with development and advice," said Tobias Heinemann, managing director for Sales & Marketing (CCO) at Transdev.

The MittelrheinBahn railway operates its comfortable ultramodern trains along one of the most beautiful stretches of railway in Germany. Apart from connecting the cities of Cologne, Bonn, Koblenz and Mainz, the line between the Köln Messe/Deutz station in Cologne and the main train station in Mainz runs through the Rhine valley, where the stretch between Koblenz and Bingen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This provides the MittelrheinBahn‘s passengers with a convenient way to travel to the popular and world-famous places of interest such as the Loreley and the geyser
at Andernach.

Onboard Infotainment for Less Than 50 EUR Per Vehicle

The company Passengera develops, distributes and maintains infotainment solutions for transport operators that build a new channel of relationship between operator and passengers, open new revenue streams and new opportunities for Connected Vehicle solutions, with its innovative onboard software platform.

Infotainment solutions already available on the market are delivered as project based, focused on defined features (e.g. movies or passenger information). They are expensive and cause unpredictable operational costs. Passengera launches its new onboard Infotainment system as a service for a price of less than 50 EUR per vehicle, which makes it a revolutionary approach on the Infotainment market. Passengera system is designed to automatically collect and update relevant data from various resources in its cloud-based management platform which makes this system self-manageable.

Passengera platform is modular, and with open API to meet every customer’s needs. It is suitable, for a small bus operator joining the market and looking for a competitive advantage as well as for big transport companies seeking to differentiate between their on board services. Passengera features include (but aren’t limited to) passenger Wi-Fi, travel information, trip or stay planning, entertaining content, advertising, onboard e-shop, passenger safety or notification system.

These features are interactively using the vehicle location and destination.

All they need is the line schedule that may be read from transport operator scheduling system API or configured and managed with other content in the cloud management by the operator or their partner. Synchronization and content update is done automatically, which reduces system maintenance overhead. The system is sold as a platform that allows operators or resellers to use content from their partners and isn’t dependent on content provided by Passengera. Passengera is delivering a new travelling experience on board.

Secure and Efficient Communication Also in Train Sets

All over the world, public transport is more attractive, faster and more efficient thanks to Init’s technology. Being in tune with the local conditions, Init always finds the appropriate solution – for 20 vehicles or for 2,000, for mega cities or regional transport. As the worldwide leading supplier of integrated ITS, planning, dispatching and ticketing systems for buses and trains, INIT provides state-of-the-art solutions to support customers with their daily tasks in the fields of:

• Planning & Dispatching
• Ticketing & Fare Management
• Operations Control & Real-Time Passenger Information
• Analyzing & Optimizing

They also benefit from Init’s proven service & maintenance support.

One of these solutions is Init’s ethernet bridge IPmobil. With the help of this train LAN modem, public transport companies can make secure and efficient use of their communication infrastructure. IPmobil uses Power Line Technology (PLC) guaranteeing a high-speed data transfer throughout the train sets. Furthermore, it replaces VDV train bus.

It does not matter on which side the driver’s cab is located in the case of single-ended vehicles coupled to a train set. An IPmobil device is installed at each coupler to guarantee the data transmission in both directions. Due to specific data modulation, the existing infrastructure of the couplers or joints can be used to achieve data transmission rates of up to 200 Mbit/s. Two unused lines which do not have to fulfil special conditions are used for data transmission, e.g. lines of the VDV train bus which are no longer needed. In addition, the device can be easily fixed to the couplers thanks to its compact design.

IPmobil is controlled and provided with necessary updates by the on-board computer COPILOTpc2. Transport companies are therefore able to transfer even large amounts of data in real time over a complete train set. With IPmobil, passenger infotainment, Wi-Fi or a comprehensive video surveillance system can be implemented. Thus, passengers profit from additional security and service quality.

The Future of Rail Travel Begins Today

Statesmen and passengers nowadays request the development of solutions which enhance the availability of Wi-Fi in local traffic and long-distance trains alike. This also lies within the interest of providers of transport services. So far such projects have not been crowned with success.

But as of now, the times when high speed data transmission on the go was merely a dream are past. For the German IPmotion GmbH has developed a new mobile router to solve the existing problems. It started with the equipping of more than 1.500 long-distance coaches run by Swiss PostAuto AG. Based on the successful partnership with network infrastructure provider wlan-partner.com AG, IPmotion has developed their patented multi-operator router technology into an even more sophisticated railway version.

The CAR-A-WAN.rail is not only the key to customer satisfaction but to miscellaneous transport services from one source. No longer is free Wi-Fi during train travel a luxury only first class passengers are able to enjoy. The nationwide allocation of internet access points in railway coaches and therewith the future of travelling has begun.

Efficiency From the Cloud

Growing demands on the services of railway and transport operators have been continuously presenting IT departments with new challenges in recent years. Modern IT infrastructures are more complex than ever before. Yet purchasing, operating and maintaining the necessary systems is time-consuming and expensive. All this ties up resources that are best needed elsewhere.

Therefore, with IVU.cloud, IVU Traffic Technologies now provides a way of using most of the proven IVU solutions in line with the principle of “software as a service” (SaaS). Instead of holding the servers for operation of the software themselves, transport companies simply hire the necessary computing capacity from IVU. “With the SaaS model, everything comes from a single source“, explained Oliver Grzegorski, development manager at IVU. “The advantage is that transport operators no longer need to look after the technical infrastructure themselves, enabling them to reduce their costs.”

At the same time, flexibility is increased, as the system grows at the same pace. Transport companies can simply book any extra capacity as required, for instance when CPU-intensive optimisations are planned. SaaS also simplifies processes. The software is easier to implement, and the system can be used productively more quickly. Updates also reach the customer much earlier if the system is operated by the engineers who know it best.

For the users in the company, nothing changes when server operation is outsourced. Using Remote Desktop via a secure, dedicated VPN connection, they can access the high-availability system, where they work with the familiar interface as usual. And standardized interfaces mean that peripheral systems can also be seamlessly integrated into the IVU environment. “In terms of performance, availability and data security, our SaaS solution is on a par with the locally installed variants of IVU’s products in every respect”, said Oliver Grzegorski. “What is more, our customers also benefit from our technical expertise in operating our systems.” This frees up resources, enabling transport companies to focus fully on their main task: moving people.

Real-Time Rearview Mirror System RailEye

The real-time rearview mirror system RailEye can be used as a traditional rearview mirror application as well as for door-monitoring purposes. In the basic version the electronic rearview mirror system consists of a monitor, two outdoor cameras and an intelligent video link. The images are displayed nearly without delay in real-time. Thus, the rearview mirror system RailEye meets the requirements for security relevant applications, which specify the maximum latency period for CCTV systems for controlling and monitoring rail vehicles.

The video link allows for intelligent vehicle-signal processing (e.g. door release, driving direction, speed) to automatically change the displayed image on the monitor in a desired manner (e.g. as full screen or multi-channel display such as split or quad screen). Only the intelligent video link is supplied with voltage by the vehicle and powers monitors and cameras. By the use of video-two-wire only one four-wire cable for video and power supply is needed.

Due to the low installation and wiring effort the real-time rearview mirror system RailEye is suitable for new vehicles as well as refitting. The real-time rearview mirror system RailEye is certified among others according to SIL1, EN 50155 (railway standards — climatic tests), EN 50121-3-2 (electromagnetic compliance), EN 61373 (vibration and shock tests) and EN 45545 (fire safety standards).