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Ticketing on the Czech railway

Posted: 27 September 2006 | Michal Palán, System Specialist, Strategy and IT Department, Czech Railways | No comments yet

Czech Railways (Cveské dráhy, CD) is the national rail operator in the Czech Republic. It is one of the largest operators in Europe and, with over 60,000 employees, it is also one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic. Approximately 180 million passengers use CvD’s services every year. In order to do so, they need a ticket.
Ticket offices in railway stations

The majority of passengers purchase their tickets at the ticket offices in stations. CD operates approximately 2,700 stations and stops and about 1000 of these are equipped with ticket offices using the UNIPOK ticketing system. There are also information centres (called ‘CD centrum’) in the larger towns where the UNIPOK system is installed.

Czech Railways (Cveské dráhy, CD) is the national rail operator in the Czech Republic. It is one of the largest operators in Europe and, with over 60,000 employees, it is also one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic. Approximately 180 million passengers use CvD’s services every year. In order to do so, they need a ticket. Ticket offices in railway stations The majority of passengers purchase their tickets at the ticket offices in stations. CD operates approximately 2,700 stations and stops and about 1000 of these are equipped with ticket offices using the UNIPOK ticketing system. There are also information centres (called ‘CD centrum’) in the larger towns where the UNIPOK system is installed.

Czech Railways (Cveské dráhy, CD) is the national rail operator in the Czech Republic. It is one of the largest operators in Europe and, with over 60,000 employees, it is also one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic. Approximately 180 million passengers use CvD’s services every year. In order to do so, they need a ticket.

Ticket offices in railway stations

The majority of passengers purchase their tickets at the ticket offices in stations. CD operates approximately 2,700 stations and stops and about 1000 of these are equipped with ticket offices using the UNIPOK ticketing system. There are also information centres (called ‘CD centrum’) in the larger towns where the UNIPOK system is installed. UNIPOK is a subsystem of the PARIS system developed in 2004 by the company Chaps. The system is composed of the following modules:

  • domestic tickets module – issuing national tickets and various confirmations
  • international tickets module – issuing international tickets on the CIV form (TCV Tariff, East- West Tariff, bilateral agreements between CD and other railways)
  • reservation module – based on UIC 918 standard
  • cash module – cash desk activities, history of issued tickets administration, stock of precisely accounted documents administration
  • timetable module
  • authentication and authorisation module.

Domestic tickets module

The module supports the issuing of all documents printed on standard domestic ticket forms, except reservations. The module allows:

  • the application of various reductions on one ticket
  • issuance of return tickets with different outgoing and return routes
  • issuance of ‘Integrated Transport System’ tickets
  • issuance of tickets for use across several national rail operator networks
  • issuance of various confirmations
  • choosing fares depending on certain train types/certain train lines
  • choosing fares depending on the date/day of the week
  • reductions depending on relation
  • automatically offering the cheapest ticket
  • any anomalies included in the CD tariffs.

International tickets module

This module supports issuance of international travel documents printed on CIV tickets except reservations. International tickets are issued based on:

  • TCV Tariff
  • East – West Tariff
  • bilateral agreements between CD and other railways.

The module allows:

  • similar functions as the national tickets module
  • automatic fare optimising – offering the cheapest ticket possible
  • any anomalies included in the above mentioned international tariffs.

Reservation module

The module supports issuance of all reservation documents based on the UIC-918 standard The module allows:

  • reservation of seats, couchettes, sleepers, places for bikes, places in pick-a-back parking places
  • partial and complete cancellations
  • change of reservation
  • preliminary reservation
  • information functions

Cash module

The module supports administration of cash desk operations. The module allows:

  • cash desk activities
  • history of issued tickets administration
  • stock of precisely accounted documents administration

Cash desk activities include: Opening; closure; automatic opening; coin administration; refund administration; accounts clearing; transaction numbers clearing; various currencies (currently CZK and EUR supported); and payment cards ( including EC/MC, VISA, American Express, JCB, Diners Club). History of issued tickets administration: Enter; delete; change; view; sum of last issued tickets; cancellation; transfer to the Primary Data Archive; synchronization between primary and secondary cash service. Stock of precisely accounted documents administration: Acquisition; transfer to another cash desk; writing-off lost/ruined; modification of stock; overviews; losses.

Timetable module

The module supports working with various timetables (CvD, European railways, Czech city public transports, bus and air carriers) and their combinations. The module allows:

  • station search according to entered mask
  • a connection search (including transfers between various transport modes)
  • a departure/arrival search
  • display of found connection
  • connection search based on routing of national/international ticket
  • transfer of information about the found connection to the ticket form.

Authentication and authorisation module

The module carries out authentication and authorisationof cashiers and other PARIS specific web services. The module allows:

  • authentication of UNIPOK users with verification of user name, password and issuing station
  • calculation of session right groups, assigning of session identifiers
  • update of list of running sessions during session end and UNIPOK failure
  • administration of user groups and setting of their rights
  • administration of users and setting of their user groups
  • administration of the device list, assignment of information about home station, ticket office number, authorised devices, etc…

Furthermore, the UNIPOK system offers some other services, such as:

  • email client
  • current train position – the operator enters a train number and the system shows the last station that the train went through, the time of the passage and any delays
  • display boards – the display boards of important stations are shown online. The operator selects a station and the system shows a real time version of the display board.

Mobile on-board ticket offices

The Mobile Ticket Office POP is an appliance that enables the conductor to quickly issue any type of operational ticket while actually on-board the train. POP is able to issue all domestic ticket types in the same way as a stationary ticket office. It can also issue surcharges and fines. The system is flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate new ticket types very easily. Records for accountancy ‘evidence’ and statistical evaluation are produced for all tickets issued and recorded data is transmitted via an IrDA interface and the collecting computer UNIPOK to the central database of the PARIS system. A connection information system MIDOS has been implemented into the POPs. The appliance works on the principle of real-time evaluation of a transport link problem using tariff dependences. This enables the instant issuing of tickets to meet passenger’s requirements. All types of POP machines are equipped with contactless chip card readers (Philips Mifare 1K, 4K and DESFire – according to ISO 14443B). Some of the POPs have integrated bar code scanners. The bar code scanner is a part of chip card reader and can be added to the POP machine. There is no need to download data for each individual journey or route as the data used is the same in all devices. Changes to the programor tarrif can be implemented very quickly via IrDA interface and collecting computer from central database. The provider of both hardware and software is ODP Software. Two types of hardware are currently used. The older one – POP IT 2000 – is based on the CASIO IT 2000D33E handheld. The newer one – POP IT 3000 – is based on CASIO IT 3000M53E model. Over 1,000 appliances are presently in use. POP IT2000

  • Operating system: eMS-DOS
  • Processor: Intel 40486 GX, 25 MHz
  • RAM: 4 MB
  • Display: 192 x 384 pixels, touch-screen
  • Resistance: IP x2
  • Printer: Thermal, 80mm paper
  • Development environment: gcc.

POP IT3000

  • Operating system: Windows CE
  • Processor: Intel XScale PXA255 400 MHz
  • RAM: 64 MB
  • Display: 3.5″ 2-way TFT color LCD, touch-screen
  • Resistance: IP 54
  • Printer: Thermal, 50/80mm paper
  • Development environment: Visual Studio .NET, Compact .NET Framework.

The main functions of the POP are:

  • ticket selling
  • cash register
  • data collection
  • connection searching.

Ticket selling

  • The program is designed to be as ergonomic as possible. Easy-to-use
  • POP functionality enables any type of (domestic) ticket to be sold, just as in a stationary ticket office
  • The ticket selling process is very quick and designed with its use for selling on trains in mind (for example, the station of departure changes dynamically, repeatable selling of the same kind of tickets,…)
  • Various kinds of presets are possible (i.e. there are more than 10 ways in which to select a station)
  • The hierarchical menu is configurable dynamically
  • Reduction offer depends on selected ticket type, number of passengers etc…

Cash register

  • Unlimited number of VAT categories
  • Unlimited number of currencies (CZK, EUR, PLN, SKK, USD currently)
  • Tickets can be sold in any of these currencies and the exchange rate is applied
  • 4 balance levels.

Data collection

The system uses a MIFARE standard/DESFire contactless chip card reader. It enables:

  • Conductor authorisation using a personal card
  • Electronic ticket controlling (this can be used for statistical information)
  • It functions as an electronic wallet.

Connection search

The MIDOS application, installed on POPs, has the same functions as the ‘normal’ IDOS (the official journey planner http://www.idos.cz/). The only limitation is the data extent (limitations of flash memory). Suitable connections can be printed.

E-shop

In late 2005, CvD started their e-shop service (http://eshop.cd.cz/). It allows customers to buy a ticket online and to print it on his home printer. A suitable card and an internet connection are needed only. The ticket is designated to a named person and for a specified journey. During the process of buying, it is necessary to choose the date of journey, the train, and the type of fare. The user can also determine the type of place (for example, table, window, aisle, compartment for mothers with children, handicapped, passenger with a bike) and the class. Passengers can also choose which seat they want, filling its number in on the form. They then have to fill in their name and the number of their identity card (i.e. passport). Payment is possible with all types of MasterCard and VISA cards, including Maestro and VISA Electron, on condition that the issuing bank has allowed it to be used on the internet. CD is one of the few internet sellers who protect the buyer using the ‘3D Secure’ system. In this system, the buyer does not have to reveal their card number to the seller. Instead, the number is given to an independent authority which mediates the payment between the buyer’s bank and CD. After the payment, the ticket (in PDF format) is displayed on the screen and it is sent via email to the passenger as well. The passenger can print it on a sheet of paper (A4 size). The ticket contains brief terms of trade, the train and seat specification and the name of the passenger and identity card number. A four-digit security code in numbers and in bar code format is also printed. During the ticket inspection in the train, the passenger shows the ticket and their identity card. The conductor verifies the data and enters them into the POP. If the handheld is provided with the barcode reader, the conductor just scans it. If not, the conductor has to use the keyboard to enter the data. The POP then computes the correct security code and the conductor can compare it with the code on the ticket. The advantage of this method is that the computer doesn’t need any data about the sold tickets in advance.

Ticket machines

Some stations are provided with a ticket vending machine. Nevertheless, this is just an additional way of ticket selling. There is usually a ticket office in these stations as well, so the ticket machines just offer an alternative way of ticket purchasing and they are used mainly during peak hours when the ticket offices are too busy.

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