ÖBB trials autonomous bus in Alpbach and Wolfurt

Politics sees potential

Transport Minister Peter Hanke (SPÖ) underscored the political significance of the trial. Automated mobility is an important building block for a more modern, safer and more efficient mobility system and at the same time a great opportunity for Austria as a business and innovation location. I see particularly great potential here in public transport, Hanke said verbatim.

ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä sees the technology as a response to the staff shortage in local transit and to the growing need for flexible connections away from the major axes. Automated vehicles could in future also close gaps in regions with thin service offerings, according to Matthä. The test is intended to show which framework conditions are necessary for later regular service.

Otokar as vehicle partner

The manufacturer Otokar supplies the vehicle platform and manages operations on site. In Alpbach, the bus traveled between event venues of the Forum; in Wolfurt, it ran on a defined circuit in the industrial park. Both were routes on which the bus did not have to cross paths with other vehicles or pedestrians.

Observers see the trial as part of a broader strategy by European railways to integrate automated mobility into public transport. Comparable pilot projects are also underway in other countries, for example in Madrid. The ÖBB point out that such tests are a prerequisite for later obtaining approvals for regular service.

Evaluation and next steps

Following the test phase, the collected data is to be analyzed and a report drawn up that will provide information on technical reliability, passenger acceptance and possible operational hurdles. Only then will a decision be made on the next step, according to the ÖBB.

For the Tyrolean municipality of Alpbach, the trial means a short-term expansion of mobility services during the Forum. Wolfurt gains insights from the test in the industrial park into the use of automated shuttles in an operational environment. Both locations are to benefit from the data gathered.