This report encapsulates the experiences with data collection for Task 6.3 in Work Package 6 (WP6) of Flagship Project 6 FP6-FutuRe and is referred to as Deliverable 6.4. Task 6.3 involves the mapping of databases needed for various use cases within the broader context of WP6. WP6 involves specification of customer services in the context of regional rail, e.g. a multimodal travel solution including occupancy forecasts. The subsequent task corresponding to T6.3 is T11.3. The data mapping is targeted in T6.3 and the mapped data will be made available for the use case implementations in T11.3. The data on demand and supply related to railway infrastructure is required for proper conduct of operations. For example, one should know the demand and supply statistics before operating new trains or constructing new lines between two locations. The main sources of data for the supply side of railways can be identified as transport operators, infrastructure managers, and ticket vendors. Meanwhile, the demand data can be acquired from the ticket sales and passenger counts. These sources are not limited, as data on demand and supply can be generated by simulation methods, as done by researchers. Additionally, this report discusses the differences between static and dynamic data streams, focusing on their updating frequency, as well as the format and availability of these data streams. The need for data simulations and data validation is also discussed.

The EU-Rail FP6 Future project’s Work Package 6 focuses on Regional Rail Services Requirements & Specifications, with the objective of developing and demonstrating highly accurate multimodal travel solutions for both on-board regional vehicles and at regional rail stations, for passengers and freight. Task 6.4 of WP6 focuses on providing short- and long-term travel demands using machine learning algorithms, enabling a more dynamic response to changing demand and allowing for the adjustment of planned rail services. This deliverable, “Specification of demand analysis algorithms”, is a crucial component of the project, providing specifications for demand analysis algorithms under the specific view of regional lines. This deliverable will include use cases, system actors, capabilities and requirements, high-level architecture, exchange scenarios per use case, interfaces and standards, and algorithm descriptions. The report’s purpose is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the specifications of demand analysis algorithms, ensuring that they meet the project’s objectives and requirements. The report details the scope of the work, including the partner’s developments involved, and the techniques used to develop the demand analysis algorithms. The report was developed considering also FP1 MOTIONAL project specifications on this topic, having a deep alignment on the designed solution. The main findings and conclusions of the deliverable highlight the added value of the work, particularly in overcoming the current limitations of the public transport system, which often leads to costly operations and an inability to react to changing demand. The demand analysis algorithms developed in this deliverable will enable a more dynamic response to changing demand, reducing costs and improving the overall efficiency of regional rail services.

This deliverable is developed as part of Task 6.5 within Work Package 6 (WP6) of the EU-Rail FP6 FutuRe project, a strategic initiative aimed at revitalizing regional railway networks across Europe. WP6 is dedicated to the specification phase, laying the groundwork for the solutions that will later be implemented and demonstrated by WP11. Task 6.5 emphasizes passenger congestion monitoring, providing information that enables operators and authorities to explore different scheduling approaches and adapt them to various transport services. This document specifically focuses on the passenger congestion monitoring specifications necessary to enhance the efficiency and service quality of regional railway lines. The goal of this deliverable is to create a comprehensive specification for a passenger congestion monitoring system and its associated algorithms. This system aims to enhance responsiveness to fluctuating passenger volumes in regional rail services. The structure of this deliverable includes the following key components: 1. Introduction (Section 1): A concise overview of the document’s purpose, objectives, and scope. 2. Objective/Aim (Section 2): Outlines the objectives and scope of this deliverable clearly and concisely. 3. Background (Section 3): Overview of congestion and monitoring, highlighting key challenges and current solutions. 4. Methodology (Section 4): The methodology used for the specification, focusing on the Architecture Analysis & Design Integrated Approach (ARCADIA). 5. Use Cases (Section 5): Detailed scenarios illustrating various passenger flow and congestion situations to provide practical context for system application. 6. System Requirements (Section 6): A thorough outline of both functional and non-functional requirements that the system must meet to be effective and reliable. 7. System Components (Section 7.2): Granular descriptions of each component’s functions and their alignment with system requirements, facilitating modular development and integration. 8. Exchange Scenarios (Section 7.3): Elaborated interactions between system components, depicting data flows during different operational conditions to ensure accurate and efficient data processing. 9. Algorithm Descriptions (Section 8): Specifications of algorithms designed to predict and manage passenger congestion using advanced data analytics and machine learning techniques. 10. Conclusion (Section 9): Summarizes the specifications for the passenger congestion monitoring system and its impact on regional railways. By defining these elements, this deliverable provides a robust framework for developing and implementing a passenger congestion monitoring system. This framework will guide subsequent development phases in WP11, ensuring the practical application of these specifications and thereby supporting the broader mission of the FutuRe project to revitalize regional railway networks across Europe.

Regional railways play a crucial role in Europe, not only by serving rural areas but also by acting as feeders for passenger and freight traffic to the main network. These lines provide an essential, environmentally friendly mode of transport—regional railways enable passengers to reach remote stations and rural destinations effectively.
Given this context, the courier, express, and parcel (CEP) services industry is booming due to shifts in consumer shopping habits and increased retail activity. This growth is putting pressure on road infrastructure and local communities, highlighting the need for more sustainable freight logistics. One innovative solution is to leverage underutilized public transport, such as trams and regional trains, for freight delivery, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas. Task 6.6 within WP6 of FP6 FutuRe aims to enhance freight services to regional and rural areas by leveraging rail transport instead of road. The primary focus is to define and specify innovative solutions for integrating first and last mile transport with passenger trains. Key activities include specifying information, routing, and booking functions for cargo distribution, as well as providing transport offers based on available capacity. Furthermore, the task analyses and defines the necessary framework conditions to effectively implement these freight services.
Deliverable 6.7 outlines how to integrate cargo distribution with passenger trains, reviewing similar initiatives, operational details, and system requirements. The specifications have been described through use cases, requirements, sequence diagrams, components, functions, and interfaces and standards. These specifications are supported by a review of related projects and studies.
Despite a promising start to Task 6.6, we have been unable to secure a demonstration partner. Given this situation, continuing the project to implement and demonstrate the described functionalities to a suitable Technology Readiness Level seems unfeasible, in the subsequent demonstration in WP11.

This deliverable is developed as part of Task 6.7 within Work Package 6 (WP6) of the EU-Rail FP6 FutuRe project, a strategic initiative aimed at revitalizing regional railway networks across Europe. WP6 is dedicated to the specification phase, laying the groundwork for the solutions that will later be implemented and demonstrated by WP11. Task 6.7 aims to foster the standardization processes within the EU. It therefore identifies which data interfaces between components are necessary to provide the information which power the multimodal travel solutions designed in WP6. It analyses if standard interfaces specifications are used and if they already fulfil completely the requirements. If no standard interface specification is available, it is assessed if a standardization process for this interface is advisable. The focus was hereby put on the data exchange between different system components and therefore on data interface specifications. For task 6.7, it was envisaged that it will develop an alpha release of the final deliverable. The final version will be developed by task 11.7. During the work on the alpha release, in total six data interfaces / data formats were identified where it might be advisable to amend existing standard data specifications or create new specifications. For the final release, a more detailed gap analysis will be elaborated.

As of today, the European railways are suffering from several systemic challenges. One of them addresses the cross-border compatibility arising from different standards and expectations from the European infrastructure managers, railway undertakings and partners from the industry. Another problem to tackle involves the competition with other modes of transport such as private car travel, and the profitability of medium route distances. Therefore, within the Flagship Project 6, a key element is to foster the collaboration among all European partners to achieve the overall objective of revitalising regional railways. It is paramount to connect regional railways with other modes of travel that are being used for first and last mile services. This enables a new competitiveness for regional railways and contributes to improved cross-border compatibility in Europe which leads to the reduction of capital expenditures and operating expenses, enhanced productivity (unit costs per train kilometre) and improved customer satisfaction. However, it is important to note that these goals are competing against each other. As a part of the Flagship Project 6, Work Package 6 deals with the conceptualisation of a multimodal travel solution providing requirement specifications. Several advancements should be introduced here, including the usage of demand-related capacity information, congestion monitoring and the utilisation of regional lines for freight transport. An orientation is provided by the technology of a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) solution which aims at consolidating multiple modes of travel into a single platform. In that way, it is possible to plan journeys across all modes of transportation. The goal of Deliverable 6.9 (Task 6.8) is to specify requirements, acceptance criteria and a test strategy. To achieve this, use cases based on relevant personas using the frontend and/or backend services were identified. Important actors within the system are commuters, travellers/tourists, and persons with reduced mobility. The backend services are primarily influenced by administrators. Additionally, an analytics platform establishes a connection between business intelligence analysts and personas from infrastructure management and railway undertakings, such as the traffic manager. The prepared use cases helped with the design of the requirements questionnaire and allowed the expansion of the requirement specification by user requirements from infrastructure managers (IMs) and railway undertakings (RUs). Requirements are ranging from the interface design and user interaction to the querying of reports for insights into passenger behaviour accompanied by addressing data backup, logging of failures and redundancy of the system. Several use cases that have been documented in the deliverable potentially overlap with main line use cases. For the alpha release of the requirement specification, this is considered acceptable. During development of the final release, it will be clarified if a use case has a regional focus or if it applies to main line as well. In the latter case, synergies can be leveraged. To ensure that the implemented solutions comply with the requirement specification defined in Work Package 6, a testing strategy and respective test cases are provided.