{"id":3743,"date":"2026-03-13T17:02:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T17:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/almex.de\/unkategorisiert\/it-trans-2026-review-public-transport-4-0-becomes-reality\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T13:36:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T13:36:29","slug":"it-trans-2026-review-public-transport-4-0-becomes-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/insider-en\/news-en\/public-transport-news-en\/it-trans-2026-review-public-transport-4-0-becomes-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"IT-Trans 2026 Review: Public Transport 4.0 Becomes Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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ALMEX at IT-Trans 2026 Exterior View<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The continuous digitalization of public local transport is particularly impressively showcased at IT-Trans, which takes place every two years in Karlsruhe. In March 2026, the international trade fair once again presented current developments in technologies, ticketing systems, and digital services in public transport, bringing together transport companies, technology providers, and industry experts from around the world. In contrast to large transport fairs like InnoTrans in Berlin, which also takes place biennially and covers the entire rail and local transport sector, IT-Trans specifically focuses on digital systems and IT-based solutions for the future of public transport. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Topics such as passenger information, ticketing, data management, and digital infrastructure were once again at the heart of the trade fair. ALMEX was also present as an exhibitor, showcasing versatile solutions in the field of vending machine technology. The focus was on new approaches to cashless ticket sales directly in the vehicle \u2013 a topic that is currently gaining increasing importance for many transport companies. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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ALMEX Presents Cashless Ticket Vending Machines <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While classic stationary vending machines continue to play an important role in public transport, many transport companies are showing growing interest in mobile and cashless systems for buses and trains. Accordingly, ALMEX presented a total of five vending machine systems as an exhibitor at the fair: two stationary ticket vending machines and three mobile, cashless devices for use in vehicles. The mobile vending machines belong to a common product family and differ in display size, housing format, and range of functions, among other things. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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IT-Trans 2026 ALMEX mobile.cashless at the Fair<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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ALMEX at IT-Trans 2026 Exterior View<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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IT-Trans guests at the stand in Karlsruhe could marvel at how the devices might be used in public transport later on. Passengers select their ticket directly in the vehicle and then pay contactlessly with Girocard, credit card, or other digital payment methods, after which the ticket is automatically printed. This concept offers several advantages for transport companies: on the one hand, the organizational effort involved in cash handling and accounting is significantly reduced; on the other hand, driving personnel are relieved, as ticket sales no longer have to be handled by the driver. This is particularly relevant against the backdrop of the shortage of skilled workers in public transport: bus and train drivers can fully concentrate on their actual task in the future, less time is lost at stops, and stress in passenger contact is reduced. <\/p>

The response at the fair showed that many transport companies are currently looking for exactly such solutions. The mobile cashless vending machines, in particular, attracted great interest, as they can be used much more flexibly compared to stationary systems and do not require additional infrastructure at stops. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Accessibility and Digitalization as Industry Trends <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Trade fairs like IT-Trans serve as a barometer for current developments in the industry. In Karlsruhe, it became clear which topics are currently occupying many transport companies and technology providers. Two developments were particularly visible: increasing demands for accessibility and the progressive digitalization of services in public transport. <\/p>

An important driver is the so-called Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG), which has imposed new requirements on digital products and services since June 2025. For many systems in public transport, especially stationary ticket vending machines, this means that they must be designed for barrier-free use in the future. This includes adapting user interfaces to the new requirements or integrating additional assistance functions for affected individuals. Accordingly, the topic was present at the fair among numerous exhibitors and was reflected in the solutions presented. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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IT-Trans 2026 ALMEX station at the Fair<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In addition to regulatory developments, the digitalization of passenger interaction was also clearly visible at IT-Trans. Many of the solutions presented aimed to make access to public transport and digital services simpler and more intuitive for passengers. In Karlsruhe, for example, digital passenger information, interactive map views for orientation in the transport network, and systems that automatically suggest suitable connections and fare options could be observed. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Deutschlandticket and Cost Pressure Change Investment Decisions <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In addition to technological developments, economic conditions also shape the decisions of many transport companies. Due to the introduction of the Deutschlandticket, many passengers now use cheaper monthly offers than before, which has also changed the revenue structures for numerous transport companies. While public transport is politically desired and socially necessary, many operators are simultaneously under pressure to design their cost structures as efficiently as possible. This has an impact on technological investments: systems must not only be functionally convincing but also economically effective. Against this background, solutions that can be used flexibly and simultaneously incur low infrastructure costs are gaining importance. Mobile systems in vehicles, in particular, offer advantages here, as they utilize existing vehicle infrastructure and do not require additional installations at stops. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Public Transport 4.0 is Increasingly Taking Concrete Shape <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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IT-Trans 2026 makes it clear: the industry is undergoing a transformation, characterized by central themes such as the increasing demand for digital services, new regulatory requirements, and strained economic conditions. The public transport of the future must not only be more digital but also more efficient \u2013 new technologies should not only enable new functions but also simplify public transport for both passengers and operators overall. <\/p>

For ALMEX, the IT-Trans trade fair provided an important platform to discuss current developments in direct exchange with transport companies and industry partners and to present its own solutions. ALMEX looks forward to being represented again as an exhibitor at IT-Trans in Karlsruhe in 2028, to gain an overview of the progress of the discussed future solutions in the industry, and to provide new impulses for the further development of public transport. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IT-Trans 2026 in Karlsruhe once again demonstrated the rapid progress of digitalization in public transport. The focus was on ticketing, passenger information, and new solutions for cashless ticket sales. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3745,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-public-transport-news-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3743"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3751,"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743\/revisions\/3751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/almex.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}