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This paper discusses a proposal for a simplistic reference system for railways, which is intended to promote a common basic operational understanding and contribute to operational interoperability. Railways are obtained in quite constrained and discrete space leading to an incomparity with that of a road or pedestrian system as a person cannot participate in its operation as an individual. Beginning with a simplified railway system, which includes simplified vehicles and elements of infrastructure, individual vehicle movements are analyzed in a fictive environment. In this case, it is determined that an extensive infrastructure need is required for an individual driving behavior. To run a railway system under good economical conditions, control and signaling technology is in use. Taking this into consideration a simplistic reference system can be defined, in that substantial system characteristics and functional aims are considered. This allows a delimitation of railway against other transport systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an intensified competitive environment the knowledge of customer structures and requirements increasingly becomes a strategic competitive advantage. Despite a high importance customer segmentations often fail due to a lack of sustainable operational feasibility. The paper presents conventional segmentation approaches in passenger services and specifies the value-to-value (V2V) segmentation developed by the authors. This approach combines the two value perspectives of customer value management (the customer and the business perspective). In addition to the concept and the operationalization of a V2V segmentation options for sales and marketing activities based of this new customer and market perspective are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisted, Automated and Autonomous driving dominate not only the discussions in the automotive sector but also in the industry of rail transportation. At the Institute of Rail Vehicles and Transport Systems (IFS) of RWTH Aachen University these expressions are summarized by the headword “Triple A". They describe similar items, namely the possibilities of using modern communication and information technology to relieve the driv­ ers and finally replace them. Their meaning though is totally different. In this paper a trial is made on definitions of the three mentioned expressions and on a mutual demarcation. Based on this, possibilities are discussed on which strategy - autonomous, automatic or just assisted - is to prefer for each particular rail transport means and what are the deficiencies and risks. In par­ ticular the different braking abilities and the different interfaces to other traffic participants lead to diverse proposals on how to achieve driverless or driver-assisted operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]