Vi2vi Secures Frankfurt Passengers with Ethernet Extenders from Barox

The Stadtwerke Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main mbH (VGF) transports around 200 million people per year during peak times. Recently, razor-sharp images have been accelerating processes for service and security in public transport. As a specialist for video solutions, vi2vi GmbH from Durmersheim near Karlsruhe has installed cameras, servers, and operator workstations for this purpose.

In the network with nine light rail and 10 tram lines in the greater Frankfurt area, video cameras secure the stops and tracks. They are directly connected to emergency call and information columns (NIS for short). The high-resolution images support the processes of the service and security control center with interfaces to the police, fire department, and emergency medical services.

 

As an expert in networked video solutions, vi2vi has installed a total of 388 high-end IP cameras at stops, buildings, and parking facilities, including hardware for servers and 31 workstations. The cameras not only supply images to the operator workstations in the control center but also to eleven fire alarm query cabinets for on-site emergency operations at the stops.

The vi2vi system replaces video technology from 2006 with analog and low-resolution images in monolithic server structures. 98% of the images from the new cameras are automatically processed without manual review. Based on these, employees can better assess situations and react more quickly and precisely. This improves the quality of passenger service and the efficiency of incident management, including automatic documentation.

 

VGF reviewed the system built by vi2vi for functionality, design, and performance via an online conference. It was the very first purely virtual factory acceptance test. During the rollout, vi2vi technicians installed all cameras for the service and security area during ongoing operations within tight timeframes. After several weeks of parallel operation, the new operator workstations, fire alarm cabinets, and servers with functional interfaces to the video management and incident command system took over real operations.

 

“For any type of emergency or information call and in case of an alarm, the correct images are automatically displayed in the best quality at the operator workstations. We can provide information more quickly, organize operations better, and thus significantly simplify workflows. This improves protection and comfort for our passengers and makes us one of the best service and security control centers in Germany,” explains Felix Müller, Project Manager at VGF.

 

The project was completed in December 2021. Hexagon was the general contractor and responsible for the incident command system. Under this leadership, vi2vi, as a subcontractor for a networked video solution, installed Axis cameras, barox Ethernet extenders, and connected the system to Qognify’s video management software.