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MobilityThe SBB app will soon tell you which carriage your friends are in
You want to travel by train with several people but you don’t get on at the same station? SBB is developing a feature that will help you.
The SBB development app tests new features.
20min/Marvin Ancian
Who has never found themselves traveling by train with friends who board from different stations? It was then the WhatsApp message saga of the style: “I have a compartment for 4 in the second car from the locomotive, at the bottom!” Except that there is always someone who panics, afraid that the convoy will start and who crosses several cars to join the group.
This scenario might soon be a thing of the past. The “Aargauer Zeitung” reports that the incumbent carrier is testing a function in its SBB Preview app (SBB Mobile test app). The program not only recognizes the position inside the car, but also whether someone is seated at the top or bottom in a double-decker train. This information is presented in the form of a graph which can be shared by WhatsApp if desired.
Discretion assured
For the function to be active, Bluetooth must be activated. So be careful, as this can quickly drain the battery. In practice, small Bluetooth receivers installed in the wagons geolocate you when you turn on the app.
According to Luana Quinter, SBB spokesperson, for the time being, only InterCity, Eurocity or InterRegio are equipped with such receivers. And no worries regarding privacy. “As soon as the traveler leaves the train, the information is lost. They are neither stored nor reused”, continues Luana Quinter.
Functions under test
It is not yet known when the new function will be integrated into the current SBB mobile app. The first step is to check the quality of location data and customer acceptance, explains Luana Quinter to the German-speaking daily. Another function implemented in the CFF Preview application allows the automatic display of disruption messages or information on delays of the train in which you are traveling. This function is called “On Board Information”. It should be noted that while the SBB Mobile app has been downloaded more than 5 million times, SBB Preview has attracted more than 100,000 users, just for Android devices.
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