VDV Core Application

Looking at existing or planned systems in Germany and worldwide, there is an increasing need for harmonization in the field of electronic fare management systems in public transport. The main objective of the project »VDV Core Application«, coordinated by VDV Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen, is to establish wide interoperability of future electronic fare management systems and provide the basis for security of investment and cost reductions in the operation of these systems. 

The coordination of consistent basic concepts for designing electronic fare management systems as well as the specification, standardization and certification of selected system components and interfaces are in the center of the project work. This includes mainly interfaces and processes from users’ view, such as user media and their application in systems with manual preselection, check-in/check-out systems or be-in/be-out systems. The interfaces between background systems and clearing and service facilities are also involved and prerequisites are created for a suitable certification of components, based on the standard under development. 

Within the VDV Core Application project, the Fraunhofer IVI was constantly involved in the evaluation of individual stages of specification. The institute’s main focus was on the development of a data model towards a generic fare model for the automated fare calculation and the design of suitable test scenarios to evaluate them technically. 

The project was funded by the Germany Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF and was coordinated by VDV Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen. The following partners participated in the project:

• Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund,
• Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe,
• DB Reise & Touristik AG
• Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe
• Siemens,
• T-Systems,
• Infineon Technologies,
• Guardionic Solutions,
• ERG,
• CUBIC,
• Deutsche Bank,
• card.etc,
• TEWET

and others.