InnoTrans 2018

•••8••• Messewelten T he public transport sector has been expanding significantly for many years. In 2017, accord- ing to the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), in Germany alone around 10.4 bil- lion people used public transport, 140 million more than in 2016. And the signs point to a further in- crease. At InnoTrans 2018 the Pub- lic Transport segment will mirror these developments. More than 400 exhibitors are displaying their latest IT, fare management, radio and telecom products as well as software, ticketing and transport management solutions on a dis- play area totalling 22 000 square metres. Public Transport is the In- noTrans’ third largest segment. This year, exhibitors will again be focusing on digital connectivity. On the one hand it gives custom- ers quick access to every form of transport by displaying the best connections in a few seconds. On the other hand it benefits op- erators, making it easier for them and more predictable to control a growing range of services. Smart comfort 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. Using GPS, a smartphone app, developed by a Swiss company, can now auto- matically purchase a ticket when a passenger boards public trans- port and will calculate the fare at the end the trip. Another must-see innovation re- sponds to the market’s ID-based ticketing needs. Features include real-time, system-wide process- ing, fair price adjustment and customer-friendly services for au- tomatically finding the cheapest fares. An Italian exhibitor from Padua uses a console that can be accessed by a wide range of de- vices to transmit both passenger information and internal GSM-R train communications through Voice over IP. And the world’s larg- est range of speech and language recognition system come from Barcelona: it is capable of convert- ing texts in over 40 languages into 70 naturally sounding voices. An Israeli company markets a vital component for driverless trains. Optical and thermal sensors in- stalled on the locomotive can detect obstacles (animals, rocks trees) even in bad light conditions up to a distance of two kilometres ahead. The system warns both the driver and control centre. Universally accessible With its planner, a Spanish com- pany and leading supplier of ITS solutions and turnkey projects for public transport, is presenting a tool for optimising operation and maintenance of transport vehicles. Their ǰdeepsy’ on-board platform even allows third-party suppliers to design their own pro- grams for existing devices. “Pub- lic transport needs to become sustainable and universally acces- sible to customers“, says Iker Es- tébanez, the company’s head of business development. Green light for public transport: a company from Finland leader in independent data telecommu- nications is aiming to reduce sys- tem outages and emissions. Bus and tram drivers can request traf- fic light information from their control centres over special data radio networks in order to avoid traffic congestion. 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 Dis- play in the Summer Garden, which is very popular with bus manufac- turers, will be showcasing the latest bus models. Trade visitors will be able to view eco-friendly electric buses being driven on a 500-metre demonstration course. Public Transport Forum At the eleventh Public Transport Forum the focus will be entirely on the future of digitization in public transport. On 20 Septem- ber (10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in Hall 7.3, Room Berlin), transport op- erators and experts will discuss new forms of transport and the challenges for IT. Later on, from 2.00 to 6.00 p.m. in the same lo- cation, the new International Bus Forum will discuss the use of elec- tric buses in public transport and to what extent urban bus services can contribute to cleaner air. Organised by the German Trans- port Forum (DVF), the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), the Union of the European Railway Industry (UNIFE) and the German Railway Industry Associa- tion (VDB), the InnoTrans Conven- tion at the Palais am Funkturm will examine cross-border rail links, climate protection meas- ures, the quality of customer ser- vices and conditions for improv- ing public transport in rural areas. Innovative systems for billions of passengers Public Transport at InnoTrans: digital connectivity is becoming increasingly important Ticketing becomes very easy with the help of digital tools. Photo: Messe Berlin