Digitalisation in the Harz region is progressing: delivery of ATRON on-board computers has begun

In May 2024, ATRON electronic GmbH (ATRON) received an order from Harzer Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH (HVB) and Halberstädter Verkehrs-GmbH (HVG) to supply a complete system including on-board computers and validators. The first devices were delivered in October.

The first 50 AFR 5 on-board computers arrived in Wernigerode at the end of October. A further 130 devices will follow in the course of the coming year 2025. Together with 400 ATRON validators from the ACT 420 series, these will form the heart of the future digital infrastructure of HVB and HVG. Passengers in particular will benefit from this. In future, tickets can also be purchased using ID-based ticketing in addition to the traditional methods. With this method, user data will no longer be stored on a medium such as a ticket or in an app, but in a secure background system. Passengers are identified exclusively via a unique ID and do not disclose any other customer data.

By eliminating the need to register and freeing passengers from the inconvenience of having to deal with complex fares, passengers receive a modern, barrier-free ticketing solution. In future, a personal payment medium such as a debit or credit card or mobile payment options (Apple Pay, Google Pay) will be sufficient to start the journey with a valid travel authorisation. No app registration or customer account is required, which makes it particularly easy for occasional travellers to use.

Digitalisation in the Harz region is also being driven forward on the software side, for example in the areas of subscription management, traffic light control and timetable management. To this end, the sales background system is being modernised and expanded. There will also be a connection to the ITCS of the Saxony-Anhalt Local Transport Service (NASA).

‘We are delighted to be able to start delivering the first vehicle computers just five months after the order was placed. This success is due in particular to the partnership-based cooperation between HVB and HVG and ATRON. We would like to express our sincere thanks for this,’ says Alexander Giegerich, Head of Sales & Marketing at the ATRON Group.

Harzer Verkehrsbetriebe (HVB)
HVB GmbH offers regional and urban scheduled services in the districts of Wernigerode, Halberstadt and Quedlinburg. With 134 buses on 60 routes and almost 300 employees, HVB transports more than 6.4 million passengers a year.

Halberstädter Verkehrs-GmbH (HVG)
With 42 employees, 10 buses and 5 modern low-floor streetcars, HVG has been operating public transport in Halberstadt for over 120 years.