Something new in the Northern Germany
- Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH aims to provide passengers with faster information and a more efficient mobility management concept
- To this end, init is supplying an integrated solution for data management, the control system, passenger information and electronic fare management
- Order volume significantly over EUR 10 million
Karlsruhe/Hamburg, 11 July 2017.
The Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein GmbH (VHH) will stand at the very forefront of technology in the future – in terms of the efficient management of its bus services and reliable passenger information. All of this will be made possible by an integrated overall solution from init, the leading specialist for telematics and electronic fare management systems for buses and trains. The Karlsruhe-based system vendor has received an order of over EUR 10 million from Hamburg for the supply and installation of the requisite hardware and software.
The tender was one of the largest in recent years for telematics systems in German public transport, as well as being one of the most technically demanding. The VHH transports more than 100 million passengers every year, thus making it the second-largest bus company in Northern Germany, and wants to set up an entirely new information infrastructure for its passengers, itself and its cooperation partners. Everything will be installed in parallel with the old system, which will continue to be run during the installation so as to ensure that passengers do not experience any noticeable service disruptions. It is in this respect that the VHH is placing its full trust in the extensive experience that init innovation in traffic systems SE has gained from over 600 successful projects around the world.
Pioneering mobility system to go into service in 2019
The central control unit to be used in the company's control centre in future will be the Intermodal Transport Control System (ITCS). This control system will be used in the entire public transport service, from the bus depots, vehicles and stops all the way to the integration of partner companies. It will collect and process all data and transmit this in real time to where it is needed, i.e. in the control centre, on the buses' on-board computers, on the displays outside and also on passengers' smartphones.
The centrepiece of the buses in future will be the EVENDpc2 – a combined on-board computer/ticket machine and a multi-talent in its own right. The advanced operating concept for the driver in combination with the comprehensive functionality in the modern sales background system MOBILEvario thus also makes the ticket purchase more comfortable, faster and cheaper.
For both passengers and the VHH, this integrated solution offers many advantages and benefits. Therefore, the system is to be put into operation as soon as possible. In addition to replacing the radio system, outfitting 600 buses and the control centre with the necessary equipment, 110 bus stop displays have to be integrated into the system and several complex interfaces have to be set up. In mid-2019, the 154 VHH bus lines will become a pioneering mobility system.
"init makes mobility easy, efficient and reliable – for both the passengers and the users of our systems. We are now supplying the VHH with a fully integrated overall system with a maximum degree of added value. Everything will be provided from a single source – from data management, ITCS and statistics to electronic fare management and the most modern vehicle systems. We expect this solution to impress other transport companies in the region," said init CEO, Dr. Gottfried Greschner.
