Hit Rail helps modernize European railways by facilitating interoperability at low cost

UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS: Thanks to Hit Rail's new HEROS web services, the Swiss railway undertaking Rhätische Bahn is the first rail organisation in Europe to become interconnected to all other European railways using the modern XML protocol.

Live since October 28th, HEROS message interoperability provides translation services for fast and seamless communication between the "old style" reservation messages and the modern XML version.

Until now, the existing passenger reservation systems of the European railways exchanged reservation requests via a proprietary set of messages, which are technically complex and increasingly expensive to maintain.

Rhätische Bahn, having only recently created its own reservation system, wanted to implement its state-of-the-art solution, but knew this could become incompatible with the existing systems of the other railway organisations. Therefore no other European railway or travel agency would have been able to book the RhB trains (including the world famous "red trains" - the Glacier Express and Bernina Express).

Hit Rail has supported Rhätische Bahn by providing its brand new HEROS translation service so that the older style reservation messages and the modern XML version can interoperate.