NextGen app service – putting passengers first
Whether for main line rail or local public transport, Siemens Mobility’s extensive experience with nearly 100 mobility apps in use provides valuable insights into user needs and software requirements. Building on this experience, the next generation HAFAS app service is currently under development and will start launching this year. Who’s driving the change? The passengers!
Whether for main line rail or local public transport, Siemens Mobility’s extensive experience with nearly 100 mobility apps in use provides valuable insights into user needs and software requirements. Building on this experience, the next generation HAFAS app service is currently under development and will start launching this year. Who’s driving the change? The passengers!
Passenger-centric design drives Innovation-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Going straight to the source
App services must evolve with users, technology and the world to ensure up-to-date features. For this reason, enhancements to the HAFAS app service come from continuous innovation in our user-centric design. Using qualitative user research, we learn what passengers want in daily use. With these insights, we develop wireframes and prototypes that are rigorously validated through continuous usability testing – to design a tool that offers a truly delightful experience.
New apps will then learn from usage, restarting the feedback cycle and a new round of the validation process. In addition, AI-powered tools will sort reviews and present key takeaways, streamlining the feedback process.
The difference is real
Using the IaaS model comes with a number of advantages:
- A continuously evolving product that ensures a state-of-the-art and frictionless passenger experience.
- With four releases per year, operators stay ahead of market needs with UX refinements driven by real-world app usage.
- Greater loyalty and increased ticket sales.
- Built-in accessibility, providing universal navigation for all passengers, e.g. in accordance with the European Accessibility Act 2025.
- Rapid innovation enabled without excessive cost or effort, drawing on a variety of ready-to-implement add-ons.
Examples of popular new features include ticket selection in just three clicks, easy set-up of commuter alerts tailored to passengers’ travel routines, live navigation with on-the-go, real-time guidance as well as personalized accessibility settings.
Looking ahead to what’s next on our product roadmap, here’s one example: an AI-powered chat interface for more sophisticated requests that go beyond A to B search. For instance, if a passenger doesn’t know the exact address of an event venue or wants to explore dining options in a certain area, the interface will combine the research and the trip request in one go. “Find me the most sustainable route between my location and InnoTrans” would therefore be a sufficient prompt.
What’s good for the passenger – is also beneficial for the operator
The IaaS model allows operators to provide their passengers with a competitive, market-ready product that is created, maintained and continuously enhanced by an established market leader.
The NextGen suite approach is highly flexible, allowing us to meet different business needs with a variety of add-ons, available out-of-the-box. Of course, the apps can be customized and branded to match any organization’s visual identity.
The NextGen app services are part of our comprehensive portfolio. The Mobility Software Suite X is a unique software ecosystem addressing the complex challenges of the mobility industry, providing solutions such as mobility-as-a-service platforms for rail and local public transport, on-demand systems, fleet management, as well as dynamic pricing and inventory and reservation management.
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Learn more about how the NextGen app services will boost passenger experience and loyalty.