A new CEN Technical Specification allows to achieve a more efficient management of public transport networks

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are a vital tool to increase safety and tackle Europe's emission and congestion problems. By applying information and communication technologies to passenger and freight transport modes alike, they can help make the way we move safer, more efficient and more sustainable.

Now, a newly approved European standard contributes to the spreading of ITS in public transport. CEN/TS 15531-5:2022 focusses on ‘Public transport - Service interface for real-time information relating to public transport operations - Part 5: Functional service interfaces situation exchange: Situation exchange’ and has been developed by CEN/TC 278 WG 3 - ‘Public Transport'.

This new TS provides guidelines for the SIRI Situation Exchange service (SIRI-SX) for public transport. This service allows the efficient exchange of data about situations consisting of actual or potential perturbations to the normal operation of a transport network. SIRI-SX relies on an extensive database of situation models, allowing a structured description of all aspects of multimodal travel situations, including cause, scope, and effects. The structured values enable computer-based distribution through various channels and the presentation of data in different formats for different devices and audiences.

The service is envisaged as a 'back office' capture and exchange service that will feed other public-facing travel information dissemination systems, provided they use the Transport Protocol Expert Group (TPEG) format. To achieve full operability to this end, the SIRI-SX situation classification model has been harmonised as far as possible with the one of TPEG and DATEX2. Uses of structured elements from TPEG, for which translations already exist in most European languages, also facilitate human readability.

The network model used by SIRI-SX is based on the CEN Transmodel European reference data model for Public Transport information, along with the CEN Identification of Fixed Objects in Public Transport (IFOPT) model for describing physical transport interchanges that is an integrated part of Transmodel.

This CEN Technical Specification contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 11- Sustainable cities and communities. It also supports the European Commission’s Digital Single Market Strategy, which, among other objectives, aims to achieve a more efficient management of the transport network.

Thanks to the continuous dedication and expertise of CEN/TC 278 WG 3, the continuous developments in the SIRI standards help strengthen the digitalisation and interoperability of information travel services in the public transport sector.