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Punctual and reliable - Transport operator relies on Siemens locating system for optimum depot management

Hanover, Germany, 2019-Jan-23

Üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG (Üstra) operates a fleet of 325 urban trains and 137 buses in and around Hanover, transporting some 500,000 passengers to their destinations every day. Technologies used by Üstra to ensure that its vehicles are properly maintained and kept available for service include solutions from Siemens for train and bus locating. Automated detection keeps the operator informed at all times about the location and technical condition of every vehicle. In addition, this modern locating system has improved the quality of processes, enabled maintenance to be performed more quickly and with fewer errors, and all without compromising timetables or inconveniencing passengers.

Üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG (Üstra) operates 325 urban trains and 137 buses in and around Hanover, transporting some 500,000 passengers every day.

Without its urban public transport system, there would inevitably be traffic gridlock on the streets of Hanover. The punctual, reliable arrival and departure of the city's buses and trains around its 700-kilometer network is vital to keep the city moving. Playing a vital role here is a Depot Management System (DMS) used by Üstra which acts like a digital twin to manage vehicle data and operational processes, and make this information available to other systems. A wireless connection to the vehicles in the fleet also informs the DMS about current running performance and any potential defects. This allows optimum planning of any necessary repair work and ensures that vehicles are quickly returned to service. To function efficiently, the Depot Management System is reliant on a continuous comparison with conditions out on the rail and road network, and tight organization of the depot with the aid of Simatic RTLS, the Real Time Locating System from Siemens.

Üstra uses ultra-modern technology in its depots to ensure a fast, reliable and convenient passenger transport service.

Customized locating

Simatic RTLS locates the position of all the vehicles in the depot at one second intervals and forwards this information to the management system. This requires all the vehicles and the depot site to be fitted with wireless transmitters and receivers. The Siemens solution offers a whole range of benefits: the transponders require no batteries, but can be connected to the on-board electrical systems of the trains and buses. In addition, the locating precision can also be adjusted by altering the number of anchors (counterparts to the antennas mounted on the vehicles). Depending on requirements, Üstra is able to select either stand-specific or more generalized location. This scalability enables savings to be made in terms of both software and costs for the RTLS.

Technologies used by Üstra to ensure that its vehicles are properly maintained and kept available for service include the RTLS (Real Time Location System) from Siemens for train and bus locating. Simatic RTLS locates the position of all the vehicles in the depot at one second intervals and forwards this information to Üstra's Depot Management System (DMS).

Efficient operational processes, reliable timetable

By combining Depot Management and Real Time Locating Systems, Üstra is able to streamline its operational processes for maximum simplicity and cost-efficiency. Where out-of-service trains previously had to be logged manually, data traffic is now digitally analyzed on a continuous and fully automated basis. Commissioning the system was equally simple: The experts were able to commission a fully functional test version on site in a matter of two days. Using the existing software interfaces, integration of the Real Time Locating System into the Depot Management System went just as smoothly. Vehicles can now also be maintained and returned to service more quickly and with fewer errors. All in all, Üstra is now ideally placed to keep Hanover's bus and train services running punctually and reliably at all times.