28/08/2018 – News / Public Transport / Smart Systems / Innotrans 2018 / Show / Berlin / Germany
Smart systems will signal the future of public transport at Innotrans 2018
Across Europe, the public transport sector has been expanding for many years – and at a swift rate more recently. In Germany alone, around 10.4 billion people used public transport last year – 140 million more than in 2016 – according to the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV). With all the signs pointing to a further increase, InnoTrans 2018 will mirror this flourishing growth through its dedicated Public Transport segment – the premier show’s third largest area.
When the show returns to Berlin from 18-21 September, more than 400 exhibitors will display their latest IT, fare management, radio and telecom products, alongside software, ticketing and transport management solutions on a display area totalling 22,000 square metres.
This year, exhibitors will once more be focusing on digital connectivity, which offers customers quick access to every form of transport by displaying the best connections in a matter of seconds, alongside benefiting operators – making it easier for them and more predictable to control a growing range of services.
Below we outline some of the innovations that we are looking forward to exploring in more detail at the event, given their potential for transforming the public transport experience.
Smart comfort for customers
With this first innovation, it is possible that waiting in line for a ticket machine and booking fares over the Internet may soon be a thing of the past. Bern-based FAIRTIQ AG has developed a smartphone app that, using GPS, can now automatically purchase a ticket when a passenger boards public transport and will calculate the fare at the end the trip. FAIRTIQ AG (Hall 2.1, Booth 104) already has 21 partners in Switzerland, as well as customers in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.
Scheidt & Bachmann (Hall 2.1, Booth 203) has many years’ experience in the development of ticketing systems. “The FareGo Suite, our latest product, is certain to be a highlight of the trade fair. It is our response to the market’s ID-based ticketing needs,” says International Sales Director Sebastian Borowski. Features include real-time, system-wide processing, fair price adjustment and customer-friendly services for automatically finding the cheapest fares, for example.
Digital solutions for transport operators
Using Voice over IP, Italian firm Mida Solutions (Hall 7.1b, Booth 201) uses a console that can be accessed by a wide range of devices to transmit both passenger information and internal GSM-R train communications.
Elsewhere, Code Factory (Hall 4.1, Booth 223) from Barcelona is marketeting the world’s largest range of speech and language recognition products – something that could revolutionise information dissemination for catering to international travellers. NUANCE, its latest software, is a system capable of converting texts in over 40 languages into 70 naturally sounding voices.
Rail Vision (Hall 6.1, Booth 202) from Israel markets a vital component for driverless trains. Optical and thermal sensors installed on the locomotive can detect obstacles such as animals, rocks or trees – even in bad light conditions – up to a distance of two kilometres away on the track. Once detected, the system warns both the driver and control centre.
Sustainable and universally accessible
With its GMV Planner, Spanish company GMV (Hall 2.1, Booth 412) – a leading supplier of ITS solutions and turnkey projects for public transport – is presenting a tool for optimising operation and maintenance of transport vehicles. The firm’s ‘deepsy’ on-board platform even allows third-party suppliers to design their own programmes for existing devices. “Public transport needs to become sustainable and universally accessible to customers,” stresses Iker Estébanez, the company’s Head of Business Development. “We are contributing to this development with innovative solutions, our eco-driving system for instance, which helps the driver to save energy and also reduces operators’ OPEX costs.
Giving the green light to public transport, Finnish firm SATEL Oy (Hall 4.1, Booth 509) – a leader in independent data telecommunications – is aiming to reduce system outages and emissions. Bus and tram drivers can request traffic light information from their control centres over special data radio networks in order to avoid traffic congestion.
A forum for the future of public transport
At the 11th Public Transport Forum, the focus will be entirely on the future of digitisation in public transport. On 20th September (10.00am-12.30pm in Hall 7.3, Room Berlin), transport operators and experts will be setting the tone and together with the public audience will discuss new forms of transport and the challenges for IT. Later that day (2.00-6.00pm in the same location), the new International Bus Forum will discuss the use of electric buses in public transport and to what extent urban bus services can contribute to cleaner air and protecting the environment.
Organised by the German Transport Forum (DVF), the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), the Union of the European Railway Industry (UNIFE) and the German Railway Industry Association (VDB), the InnoTrans Convention at the Palais am Funkturm – over the course of five events – will examine cross-border rail links, innovative climate protection measures, the quality of customer and mobility services as well as overall conditions for improving public transport in rural areas.
Bus manufacturing majors display latest models
Compared to a few years ago the importance of public transport has increased and today it stands for ecological awareness and practical transport. The Bus Display in the Summer Garden will this year showcase the latest bus models. Trade visitors will be able to view eco-friendly electric buses being driven on a 500-metre demonstration course. Exhibitors will include Alstom, Ebusco, Linkker, Solaris and VDL. More information on the Bus Display can be found at www.innotrans.com/BusDisplay.
About InnoTrans
InnoTrans is the world’s leading trade fair for transport technology and takes place every two years in Berlin. At the last event ,2,955 exhibitors from 60 countries presented the global rail industry’s innovations to 137,391 trade visitors, who came from 119 countries. The five segments at InnoTrans are Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure, Public Transport, Interiors and Tunnel Construction. Organised by Messe Berlin, the 12th edition of InnoTrans will take place on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds from 18-21 September 2018. For more details on the event, visit: www.innotrans.com.
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