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Munich S-Bahn Switches On Real-Time Car Crowding Displays at Ostbahnhof

The LED light-barrier system estimates occupancy with claimed over-90% accuracy to steer riders toward emptier cars.

Overview

  • The pilot went live on September 10 on tracks 1 and 2 at Ostbahnhof, showing per-car load levels before trains arrive.
  • Data from LED light-barrier sensors is processed within about three seconds and displayed at the next station without using cameras, with Deutsche Bahn citing over 90% accuracy.
  • Displays use a traffic-light scheme—green for many free seats, yellow for medium load, red for very full—and reporters observed some initial passenger confusion about the colors.
  • S-Bahn München plans to extend the system along the Stammstrecke this year and to S1 interchanges Moosach and Feldmoching, with additional lines in 2026 and a target of network-wide coverage by the end of 2026.
  • DB and Bavarian officials say the tool should help passengers spread out, speed boarding and support punctuality, drawing on results from deployments in Hamburg and at Berlin Friedrichstraße.