Information Networks for Multimodal Transport

1. Information Networks for Multimodal Transport Jan Christiansen NSB (Norwegian State Railways) jan.christiansen@nsb.no

2. Why is Multimodal Information important? • For passenger operations : • A ”seamless” journey starts with a ”seamless” journey plan • Insecurity and lack of information is a major barrier against increased use of public transport • For freight operations : • Tracking of freight across modes increase customer confidence • Hazardous materials can be tracked from start to destination, decreasing risks of contamination Bottom line : Better information systems leads to better utilisation of the infrastructure, better economy and a more environmental friendly transportation

3. Operator Operator Operator Operator Operator Multimodal Passenger Information System • Customer Service Centre (Phone) • Wireless messages • Information Boards • Extranet • Text Messages (SMS, WAP) • Internet Schedules “Broadcast Interface” Real time updates of schedules Data Warehouse of travel-related information “Enquiry Interface” GIS front end Changes

4. The Nordic initiative and the Norwegian Working Group • A Nordic 3-year programme doing work on Transport Telematics with the aims of • Stimulating to a better co-ordination of transport modes in order to obtain a more safe, environmental friendly and effective transport system • Building better relations between the Nordic countries and with the Baltic region • Encourage more effective Public-Private Partnerships • A Norwegian Network Group, comprising representatives from all transport modes (Sea, Air, Road and Rail) has been formed. • This group holds regular meetings, focusing on common issues • The representatives for the Nordic Programme are members of the Norwegian Network Group

5. EUROPE-WIDE INTERMODAL PASSENGER INFORMATION AND RESERVATION • Travellers still find it difficult to find out the best way to get from their origin in a given place to their destination. Customers need easy access to reliable information, if they are to use public transport. The availability of other journey-related information - tourist attractions, cultural events, hotels, car rental, among others - is also important. • EU-SPIRIT is a two-year research project partially funded by the DG XIII of the European Commission under the 4th RTD Framework Programme. Its main objective is to develop and demonstrate a customer-friendly, Internet-based, multimodal information system. EU-SPIRIT provides door-to-door public transport and travel information across Europe by integrating long-distance railway, local transport systems and travel-related, non-transport information.

6. EU-SPIRIT Travel Planning Ring • The EU-Spirit Travel Planning Ring is based on a distributed concept to provide door-to-door travel information by public transport across European regions. It connects different kinds of travel planning systems such as local and regional public transport, long distance rail travel or combinations of them. Participants in EU-SPIRIT can either answer a request on the basis of their proprietary data if possible, or pass it to the travel planning ring, if the request exceeds their own time table data. • The project will develop a networking architecture, allowing public transport information and reservation systems to communicate without major modifications of existing systems. Competence and maintenance of data and information remains under the responsibility of data owners, a clear advantage of the distributed concept. • The system architecture allows for open access by travel-related information services. If the underlying systems are linked to real- time information, using different data formats of software, the interface to the querying systems is always the same.

7. What EU-SPIRIT offers • The EU- SPIRIT information system will inform about public transport such as main railways, regional and local trains and buses. It will make use of the Internet as well as conventional sales and information channels to facilitate the door- to-door planning of journeys in Europe. The same environment will offer direct access to other information services, enabling the user to find additional information about the chosen destination (cultural events, tourism) or to simplify trip planning (with for example hotel bookings). • All organisations interested in implementing this new innovative intermodal door- to- door information system are welcome to join EU- SPIRIT.

8. EU-Spirit - Time Schedule

9. EU-Spirit - Members • Long-Distance Travel Planner Operators, providing long-distance transport services by any modes of transport and operating travel planners which are accessible via the Internet. • Regional Travel Planner Operators, providing regional and/ or local transport services and operating travel planners which are accessible via the Internet. • Local Travel Planner Operators, providing local transport services and operating travel planners which are accessible via the Internet. Currently, these Travel Planner • National Integrated Travel Planner Operators, operating a travel planner integrating existing local, regional and long-distance transport services at the national level, which is accessible via the Internet. Currently, these Travel Planner Operators are: • Information Service Providers are self-standing organisations providing travel planning information independently of the provision og transport services. Public and private operators in the tourism sector, including travel agencies, are the considered actors. Currently, there is no pure information service provider among the EU-SPIRIT partners.

10. System architecture for multimodal information systems Effect : • A foundation for building and operating multimodal information systems leading to better utilisation of the infrastructure and increased use of public transport Result: • A common set of concepts, a common data model, protocols and formats for data exchange and a set of rules for developing and implementing information systems based on the model

11. Passenger and freight concept frameworks • The borders between basic and specialised concepts must be established and described • Concepts with multiple meanings must be identified and described • Concepts that can be common must be identified and described Passenger related concepts Freightrelated concepts Basic dictionary of terms and concepts

12. The Development Process Architecture Implementation Use of the architecture Version 0 Update based on experience Demonstrator Version 1 Implementation 1 Version 2 Implementation 2 Version 3 Implementation 3