Stuttgart/Berlin - Since January, Deutsche Bahn has been testing occupancy information on the station indicators in the S-Bahn network in the Stuttgart region. The information is visualized in 3 levels by means of passenger pictograms and displayed to the waiting passengers on the platform before the train arrives.
The data required for this from the vehicles is supplied in real time by the recently successfully approved and certified Automatic Passenger Counting System (APC) of INTERAUTOMATION Deutschland GmbH, which was implemented in collaboration and cooperation with ALSTOM (formerly Bombardier) for the S-Bahn series 423.
The quality requirements for systems for occupancy determination are currently still being discussed in the industry and in regulatory bodies. For this reason, and because the passenger numbers determined are also used for revenue sharing and traffic planning, the high certification requirements were applied in accordance with the strict rules of VDV-457. Passing the counting accuracy requirements of 99% is by no means a matter of course, since so-called systematic errors in particular (such as categorical under- or over-counting of boarding or alighting passengers) can have a negative impact even with the smallest deviations in the face of very high counting accuracy requirements and small permissible tolerances. The satisfaction of all involved was therefore great when the system was even able to demonstrate counting accuracies of more than 99.5% in the comparative count for boarding and alighting passengers.
Not least because of the passing of these high hurdles, the counting data is likely to be used in the future for the distribution of fare revenues.
In addition to recording passenger numbers, the system is also to be used to count bicycles in the future. This has already been technically realized. The associated recognition algorithms are currently being optimized and trained. The challenge lies in the small number of bicycles on the train compared to the number of passengers, as well as in the reliable recognition of the variety of different types of bicycles.
Manuel Mang, Managing Director of INTERAUTOMATION, says:
"We are pleased that we have been able to successfully implement another project for our customers with the completion of the official certification and that we are contributing to attractive public transport with our experience and solutions."
