More Comfort for Bus Replacement Services: Precise Passenger Counting in Use on the Riedbahn
One of Germany's busiest railway lines, the Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim, is undergoing extensive modernization and will remain closed to train traffic until December 14, 2024. To ensure continued service for passengers in regional transportation, DB SEV GmbH – a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national railway company, specializing in planning and managing rail replacement services – has established a high-quality replacement service using coach buses. DILAX plays a crucial role in optimizing this service with its automatic passenger counting (APC) system.
The DILAX APC system accurately records passengers boarding and alighting from the replacement buses, providing reliable data. This data, complete with timestamps and GPS coordinates, is transmitted to DILAX's analysis software. The data is then exported and serves as the basis for analyzing occupancy and utilization per trip and stop. DILAX also makes the past day’s data available via a reporting API. Additionally, live data is transmitted to various departments within Deutsche Bahn to ensure continuous monitoring of adjustments to the service.
Better Data, Better Service
The data collected by DILAX forms the foundation for proactive planning and adjustments to the replacement service. It offers valuable insights and can also be used for real-time occupancy displays to inform passengers, leading to increased satisfaction. Deutsche Bahn estimates that around 46% of passengers permanently switch to individual modes of transportation when relying on replacement services for an extended time period. In large-scale modernization projects like the Riedbahn, the goal is to retain passengers. DB SEV GmbH places great emphasis on passenger satisfaction and comfort.
"Thanks to DILAX’s solutions, we are able to provide bus occupancy forecasts in DB's information systems for the first time. This capability is a significant advancement and will help us further improve service for our passengers. I think it's sensational," says Olaf Bartels, Senior Application Manager and responsible for IT systems at DB Regio AG.
The implementation of DILAX systems in the 170 state-of-the-art buses on the Riedbahn is a key component of DB SEV GmbH's data-driven traffic management. The combination of high-quality passenger information and precise passenger numbers ensures that passengers are well-served even during the construction work on the Riedbahn.