BVG, HOCHBAHN and MVG sign cooperation agreement – Smart mobility solutions for millions of passengers – Industry-wide standards for the further development of public transport
Germany’s three largest local transport companies want to tackle key future challenges together. They will join forces to work hand in hand on smart mobility solutions for millions of people in the three major cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. The heads of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), Hamburger Hochbahn AG (HOCHBAHN) and Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a strategic partnership. This marks the first time that a supra-regional alliance of leading industry representatives has been formed with the aim of jointly shaping the public transport of the future in a more customer-oriented manner, exploiting synergies to reduce costs and realise efficiency potential, and setting industry-wide standards.
From decentralised individual projects to common standards
The mobility and public transport industry in Germany is undergoing profound change: digitalisation, artificial intelligence, automation and autonomous driving are opening up enormous opportunities, but at the same time require common standards and scalable approaches. Until now, such projects have mostly been organised locally.
This partnership aims to break new ground. In their memorandum of understanding, BVG, HOCHBAHN and MVG are committed to working together on practical digitalisation measures, standardisation and new business models. The target group that will benefit from this is large: over seven million people live in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.
The cooperation will initially focus on three key areas of application:
Autonomous driving: By 2035, a total of up to 2,000 autonomous public transport vehicles will supplement the local transport systems in the three cities.
Mobility platform (MAX): Introduction of a joint app for bus, train and shared mobility services.
Standardised distribution systems: The distribution systems will be standardised and digitised across regions to ensure a seamless customer experience.
Henrik Falk, CEO of BVG: “Here we go! Autonomous driving, a shared platform, a digital future in public transport – all this is no longer a dream of the future. We are bringing together the brightest minds in the three largest local transport companies and our shared desire to advance the future of local transport and mobility in Germany. Waiting is a thing of the past. We’re just going to do it now.”
Robert Henrich, CEO of HOCHBAHN: “With this initiative, we are joining forces to shape the future of local public transport in Germany. Our common goal is to leverage the opportunities offered by digitalisation and new technologies to implement attractive mobility solutions that are close to the customer.”
Ingo Wortmann, Chairman of the Management Board of MVG: “We are confident that together, as powerful transport companies, we can achieve a great deal. At the same time, we want to become more economical and reduce operating costs through this joint initiative with a focus on automation. The entire sector can also benefit from this if the industry brings standardised systems to market.”
The memorandum takes effect immediately and is initially open-ended. The target timeframe for implementing the measures defined in each use case is gradually between 2030 and 2035. To avoid isolated individual projects and redundant structures, the three companies are relying on a lean organisation with a small number of clearly focused working groups for the defined use cases. A steering committee comprising representatives from all three cities will be established for overall management and coordination.
