INIT at InnoTrans 2026

11:00-11:15

Working in public transport operations control is demanding and requires dispatchers to have experience in handling stressful situations when disruptions occur. Due to upcoming waves of retirements across public transport operators, there will be a lack of experienced staff in the future. Consequently, assistance systems will become increasingly important for operators. As part of the KARL project, an AI based support system for dispatching measures is being developed to assist dispatchers during disruptions. The AI support assistant is therefore integrated into the existing ITCS system enabling the deployment of automatic dispatch measures when disruptions occur. A main focus thereby lies on the usability of such an AI assistance and on the transparency of the recommendations made by AI model through Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) features. Results show that providing interpretable AI insights to dispatchers led to a significant improvement in incident response times and overall system performance.

Speaker: Alexander Kuhn, R&D Engineer, INIT

15:00-15:15

How can public transport become digitally future-proof? Cloud, on-premises, AI, cybersecurity and growing volumes of data are creating new demands on transport IT. This presentation explores how open, flexible and scalable system architectures can help operators implement their IT strategies, protect investments and keep operations secure and reliable. Using operations control and ticketing as examples, it shows how today’s IT can lay the foundation for the public transport of tomorrow.

Speaker: Georg-Maximilian Michalski, Key Account Manager, INIT

10:00-10:15

Account-based ticketing (ABT) has been used successfully on an international scale for many years now. Recently, an increasing number of implementation projects are also being launched in Germany. Using the town of Rosenheim as an example, this session will give you insights into a current ABT implementation project and provide first-hand information on how it was carried out and what lessons have been learnt so far during its ongoing operation. In addition, you will be presented with best practices from ABT projects around the world and can look forward to specific recommendations for implementation in your region.

Speaker: Jean-Luc Rohner,Verkehrsgesellschaft Rosenheim & Sascha Heyer, Domain Lead ABT, INIT

14:30-14:45

Any transport organisation that wants to set up a charging infrastructure for electric buses first needs to redesign their depot. This presents an opportunity to systematically digitalise the entire portfolio management process.

A modern charging management system smartly controls charging processes, avoids peak loads and reduces energy costs. An integrated portfolio management system takes this one step further: It coordinates vehicle availability, parking spaces and maintenance planning – for the entire fleet of electric and/or conventional vehicles.

The key premise: While electrification is the catalyst, the real benefit lies in the digitalisation of the entire fleet. Those who make the most of this opportunity will lay the operational foundations for an economically viable and sustainable public transport system.

Speaker: Heiko Bauer, Domain Lead, INIT

14:50-15:05

LIVEavl helps transport organisations resolve passenger inquiries quickly, accurately and efficiently by giving customer service teams a real-time overview of transport operations. With second-by-second vehicle tracking and live and historical data in a single user-friendly interface, agents gain instant visibility over what is happening, or what happened, allowing them to provide passengers with reliable answers about vehicle locations, arrival times, service disruptions or lost property. By replacing guesswork with accurate, easy-to-understand information, LIVEavl helps shorten inquiry handling times, makes everyday work easier for agents and enables more consistent and transparent communication with passengers. This results in more cost-efficient customer service, greater employee satisfaction, as well as stronger passenger satisfaction and trust.

Speaker: Mika Varjola, Domain Lead, ITCS & TSP, INIT 

14:30-14:45

Long before a bus or tram leaves the depot, MOBILE-PLAN has already supported building the network, timetable, vehicle blocks and underlying duty rosters – refined over decades at transport organisations of every size, and optimised end-to-end by an integrated block-and-duty optimisation engine. Once operations go live, MOBILE-PERDIS takes over: day-to-day scheduling, absence handling, payroll-ready data, and browser-based self-service for drivers. In this session, we will trace the full chain – from strategic network planning to the moment a driver checks their assignment on their phone – and show where algorithmic and AI-supported optimisation is already at work today in MOBILE-PLAN, and where it is heading next in MOBILE-PERDIS.

Speaker: Dr. Lucas Mertens, Domain Lead Dispatch and Planning, INIT

15:30-15:45

Efficient customer, sales and revenue management is a key factor in the success of modern transport organisations. This 15-minute presentation demonstrates how the PT Fare Collection software brings together all customer- and revenue-related processes on a single platform – from the management of customer accounts and fare products, multi-channel sales, and billing through to payment management and reporting. Learn how transport organisations can create transparency, optimise sales processes, maintain control over their payment and revenue flows, and manage their business development in a data-driven manner.

Speaker: Ole Jensen, Domain Lead PT, INIT