BrazilSiemens and Everis to create new mobility platform for Spain’s Renfe
Renfe has selected Siemens and Everis to develop and operate a countrywide intelligent Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform, which Spain’s national railway company expects will boost its revenues by millions.
The new platform is billed by Renfe as “one of the world’s most ambitious Mobility as a Service projects yet,” and will be delivered in conjunction with Siemens Mobility (which will provide the core technology) and Everis (an NTT DATA subsidiary that will support the IT implementation). Siemens has previously implemented similar MaaS systems in Dubai, Denmark, Luxembourg and Andorra, among others.
The concept of Mobility as a Service, or MaaS, integrates various modes of transport services, such as train, bicycle, metro, bus, care sharing, scooter services or a combination thereof, into a single mobility service accessible on demand, making it quick and easy for passengers to identify and book the transport option that best meets their needs. MaaS platforms also offer mobile payment and electronic ticketing for users, who can resort to a single app to handle their entire trip regardless of the mode of transportation they choose to use.
“MaaS is a very passenger-centered approach and significantly enhances the passenger experience for travelers. It will contribute to making sustainable modes of transportation more attractive”, Agustin Escobar, CEO of Siemens Mobility for Spain and Southwest Europe region, said about the project.
Expanding urban populations and the target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 continue to highlight the need to upgrade existing mobility networks across the world. In this context, the convergence of nodes, which is a key element of Mobility as a Service, has become a major trend.
Already in 2017, a report from Deloitte suggested that MaaS was becoming increasingly popular across the world. Today, European cities rank particularly high when it comes to the general availability of mobility options and infrastructure systems.
By adapting to consumer needs, Renfe expects its new intermodal platform to attract at least 650,000 new train travelers, which would spark the need for an additional 1.8 million train journeys in the coming five years.
In parallel to the MaaS project by state-owned Renfe, the Spanish government has recently provided €400 million to subsidise purchases of emission-free vehicles. This general increase in the variety of transportation options can also be seen as an important steppingstone in helping the country do its bit for the EU’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
Once finalised, the MaaS platform could provide Renfe with an extra €156 million additional income in the five years after its implementation. The service will be available in 27 cities across Spain including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, and Sevilla, benefiting a big part of the country’s 47 million inhabitants.
