Politicians want the Deutschlandticket to provide financial relief for public transport passengers as quickly as possible. Lufthansa Industry Solutions has therefore worked hard to develop a technical solution. This will enable transport companies to offer their subscribers the 49-euro ticket on time from January 1, 2023.
Norderstedt, November 30, 2022 – Since the federal and state governments decided to introduce the Deutschlandticket for public transport at the beginning of November, transport companies have been working at full speed to implement it. With a price of 49 euros per month, the ticket is cheaper in many areas than other monthly tickets for local and regional transport. However, it is not only the ticket's financial viability and existing fare structures that need to be examined, but also its technical feasibility. "Many details related to the ticket's nationwide readability are more difficult to implement than with the conventional introduction of a new fare variant," says André Jacobs, Director Mobility & Transport at Lufthansa Industry Solutions (LHIND).
The Lufthansa subsidiary manages the software of the sales background systems of 35 public transport providers in Germany. Customers include S-Bahn-Berlin, Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe, Stuttgarter Straßenbahn AG and Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft. "For our existing customers, it is technically no problem to offer the Deutschlandticket at the turn of the year, with the respective requirements of the legislator and the public transport industry association VDV," Jacobs emphasizes. "The necessary software upgrade is available immediately, so that the conversion and introduction process can begin." But new customers could also benefit from the software solution promptly and thus start selling the new Deutschlandticket well equipped. "The prerequisite for this is a certified interface to the VDV core application in conjunction with our Patris sales background system," adds Jacobs.
A digital platform for mobility services
With the Patris digital platform, LHIND offers transport operators a solution that bundles functions such as pricing, sales, billing, subscription management, customer communication and accounting. Currently, about 120 million tickets per month are sold through the systems managed by LHIND. "If our customers want to offer products like the Deutschlandticket, it is our duty as an IT service provider and software developer to get the project on track as quickly as possible in the truest sense of the word," says André Jacobs.
In addition to the overarching standardization according to the interface standard in the core application of the industry association VDV, the nationwide readability of the Deutschlandticket is the biggest challenge. For example, a 49-euro ticket purchased in Berlin should be valid everywhere in Germany's local and regional transportation systems - including, for example, transportation companies in Cologne or Munich. LHIND Director Jacobs explains: "For the new fare product, we have found a solution for all customers. The Deutschlandticket can be used on a smartphone as well as on paper or as a chip card." The solution enables users of the LHIND platform to offer their customers the new ticket on a subscription basis as early as the beginning of the year.