Zürich: when it comes to depot management system, VBZ turns to PSI

Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ) has commissioned PSI Transcom GmbH to implement the depot management system PSItraffic/DMS. In the future, the new system will monitor and control around 240 buses and 260 streetcars in a total of eight garages and depots across all operations. In addition, almost all processes will be digitized and automated with the DMS.

The company has been chosen as supplier of depot and charging management system for Hamburger Hochbahn and BVG Berlin which are today companies with the largest number of e-buses in Germany.

It is also worth mentioning that PSI Transcom is sponsor of the Sustainable Bus Tour 2021 and took part to the webinar “The electric depot. Charging and managing large e-bus fleets”, broadcasted the 6th of May 2021.

PSI Transcom depot management system for VBZ

The depot management system will prepare the vehicles for daily operation and schedule them for their respective blocks. Thus, it will optimize the block assignment so that the workshop is utilized to capacity, the refueling and cleaning intervals are carried out as planned and required, and the idle and shunting times and thus the risks of vehicle defects are minimized. The scheduling kernel used for this purpose is based on PSI’s own Qualicision optimization software, which finds a solution within seconds based on the operational constraints.

The contract also includes equipping the depots and vehicles with tracking components, PSI says.

The new system will establish an end-to-end digital workflow from the time vehicles enter the depots, through supply and repair up to parking. This will improve vehicle availability and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of operations and workshops. The system will also automatically support the more complex dispatching of the e-bus charging process in the future.

Along with Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ) is the largest provider of transport services in the Zurich Transport Network (ZVV). The company operates the majority of local public transport in the city and surrounding areas.