AUSTRIA: Wiener Linien’s Series X metro trainsets, due to be introduced this year on U-Bahn lines U1 to U4, will be fitted with an advanced passenger information system branded Passenger Info Plus.
Developed by Siemens subsidiary Hacon in co-operation with the operator, the technology unveiled on January 10 is intended to make the city’s public transport network easier and more convenient to use. According to Albrecht Neumann, CEO Rolling Stock at Siemens Mobility, the dynamic information system was ‘an important software project’.
Screens on each car will provide real-time information about the progress of the train and dynamic network data. Displays above the doors that open onto the platform at each station will show directions to the exits and the available transfer options, along with departure times for connecting services. Meanwhile, the screens on the other side of the cars will show a digital map of the U-Bahn network, highlighting the train’s current position, direction of travel and next station.
Additional information about the status of other U-Bahn lines, including any lifts or escalators that may be out of service, can be displayed on either side of the vehicles.
‘The Viennese are getting a state-of-the-art metro car that provides all the latest information right where they need it: under way’, said WL Managing Director Alexandra Reinagl. ‘We are proud to be the first public transport company in the world to offer this service.’
Unveiled by Siemens Mobility in March 2018, the first Series X trainsets are currently undergoing testing ahead of certification, and are expected to enter service this year on existing lines U1 to U4. Designed for driverless operation, they will in future operate in fully automatic mode on Line U5, which is now under construction.
