Seamless passenger flow: Wiener Linien’s confidence in Ventura door systems

Flow is the key to create synergy in Vienna’s public transport system, according to Gerhard Siegl, Manager and Technical Support Bus Fleet at Wiener Linien. As the number one mobility provider in the cosmopolitan city of Vienna, they operate 437 buses, 489 trams and 163 underground trains.

Wiener Linien trusts on Ventura door systems to enable fast and reliable boarding. ‘The door systems enable tight route intervals to be met and passengers to be transported on time as promised’ Siegl explains.

Caption opening picture: Gerhard Siegl (Wiener Linien) and Denis Hanisevski (Ventura Systems)

Ventura Systems for Wiener Linien

The partnership between the two companies is intensifying as Wiener Linien converts its bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles, such as the Mercedes E-Citaro. Sustainability and environmental protection have been important issues for Wiener Linien buses in terms of procurement, maintenance, and operation for the past 35 years. This approach will be continued in the coming years through the use of zero-emission buses (electric or H2 buses), thereby making an important contribution to improving the quality of life in Vienna.

Siegl: ‘Wiener Linien has to offer its passengers a comparable or even better service, with even greater sustainability than the previous buses. However, this is not so easy to achieve with alternatively powered vehicles. There are many challenges to tackle, both in terms of infrastructure and vehicles.’ In the next few years Wiener Linien will also put the first autonomous underground train (U5) into regular service. In the case of buses, they will continue to explore and develop the path to autonomous passenger transport in the course of research projects.

With each batch of newly delivered buses the companies arrange a ‘sing-off’ to ensure that the door systems fit perfectly. During the sing-off, a service engineer from Ventura checks all the door functions and coaches the Wiener Linien service and maintenance team. Wiener Linien has several service and maintenance centres where the technical staff play an important role in maximising the uptime of the door systems.

Denis Hanisevski, Account Manager at Ventura Systems, elaborates ‘When new buses or new generations are delivered, it is important to check every door system and make adjustments where necessary. That’s why we carry out checks with the Wiener Linien team so that they and new employees know how to check that a door system is correctly fitted to the vehicle. During the sign-off there are always small questions, and we have the opportunity to share best practices. The synergy between us as a manufacturer and Wiener Linien’s technical staff improves the reliability of our door systems.’

The sign-off is a very important moment, as Siegl confirms: ‘The door system is a basic requirement to be able to guarantee our high-quality line operation in today’s world. The underground trains and trams transport the large numbers of passengers via the main lines of Vienna. The bus serves as the most important feeder for the underground and the trams, transporting passengers from the outer or inner areas of Vienna to the main lines. A reliable door system is needed to keep the passengers flowing.’

Wiener Linien buses are equipped with a separate Plug Sliding door system as first door and regular Plug Sliding door systems in the other portals. All door systems are electrically operated, which has advantages over pneumatic operated mechanisms. The separate door system allows only one door leaf to be opened, reducing the impact of an open door on the bus climate and the comfort of the driver. The choice for a different door system than the conventional Inward Gliding door system was made because the better sealing which reduces noise and water ingress, improving the comfort of passengers and drivers.

2 million passenger/year

Wiener Linien utilizes all door boarding on its buses to handle its share of the 2 million passengers who use Wiener Linien stations and vehicles every day. The outward placement of the Plug Sliding door creates a completely free doorway and optimal interior space. This allows passengers to easily enter and exit the bus at the same time for optimum passenger flow. With its sensitive edge the Plug Sliding door re-opens automatically when it encounters an obstacle, ensuring safe on- and offboarding.

Wiener Linien is hard at work creating climate-friendly mobility options for the future: These combine the dense network of bus, tram and metro services with sharing vehicles to offer the best options for everyone’s specific mobility needs. In 2025, there will be 100 WienMobil stations throughout Vienna, each offering various forms of mobility – from hire cars, scooters and mopeds to bike storage boxes and bike service stations. ‘We have a lot of challenges ahead on the road to zero emission transportation, so we need an honest, open, and constructive cooperation with all our suppliers from vehicles to door systems. Ventura Systems is a good example of this.’ according to Siegl.