Cloud native development gave us decisive competitive advantage

For millions of European travellers, international rail travel must become an attractive and user-friendly alternative to flying. However, the complexity behind that seemingly simple journey from Amsterdam to Frankfurt is enormous. The crucial, but often invisible, role in connecting European railway companies falls to Hit Rail.

The right partner for cloud transition

In 2018, Hit Rail faced the challenge of modernising their IT infrastructure. The move to the cloud was not yet a given. "In the railway sector, movement towards the cloud wasn't particularly fast. But we decided to take this step to harness the benefits." says Enrique Ruiz, Technical Director at Hit Rail.

With such a crucial transition, finding the right partner was crucial. "We were looking for a company that could support us on a personal level," explains Ruiz. We're not a large organisation, and we didn't want an anonymous big service provider. We needed a partner who understood our specific needs and was willing to think about solutions. With inQdo, we felt immediately that they could give us the attention and guidance we needed."

That personal connection has grown into a close collaboration. "The inQdo team isn't an external supplier, but part of our team," emphasises the Technical Director. "We have direct contact, without service portals or bureaucratic barriers. They work seamlessly with us, as if they were colleagues."

This approach fits with Hit Rail's vision of supplier relationships. Antonio López: "We always see our suppliers as strategic partners. They must understand our business, participate in it and improve their services to benefit our end users. inQdo has not only understood this concept, but fully embraced it."

Proactive approach proves game-changer

The first challenge that inQdo solved for Hit Rail was relatively simple but crucial: the migration of the 'Passenger Reservations Translator' - an application previously hosted at a local European railway organisation, but they were seeking a new provider. What began as a migration quickly became a complete AWS cloud journey. "After the successful migration of existing services, we came to a crossroads," says Ruiz. "inQdo then said: 'Your applications are server-based, that works fine. But if we're going to develop new applications, we would want to maximise the possibilities of the cloud and use more advanced serverless technologies.’"

That proactive approach from inQdo proved to be a game-changer. By choosing cloud native development with AWS technologies such as Lambda functions and virtual databases, Hit Rail could build complex applications that were technically superior and more cost-effective. The impact of this on Hit Rail's competitive position was significant. "Thanks to inQdo's knowledge of serverless infrastructure, we were able to develop extremely scalable and efficient solutions," explains Ruiz. "This gave us a decisive advantage in European tenders. Our offers were technically progressive and very competitively priced due to cloud efficiency. Without inQdo's cloud expertise, we probably wouldn't have won these strategic projects."

A complex landscape demands advanced technology

Thanks to winning these tenders, Hit Rail could work with inQdo to develop three strategic applications that now form the basis for efficient data exchange between European railway companies. The challenge these projects address is enormous. Sharing real-time data between national railway companies in different countries requires advanced technology. Travellers expect information about e-tickets, delays and fares to be seamlessly available, regardless of where they are in Europe. Ruiz: "These systems form the essential building blocks for a better European passenger experience.

They're not standard IT solutions, but crucial infrastructure for international train travel."

The first application, eTCD (Electronic Ticket Control Database), facilitates the adoption and use of electronic tickets in Europe. "When a passenger with an e-ticket from Deutsche Bahn is checked by an NS conductor, eTCD sends the control mark in real time to Deutsche Bahn," explains Ruiz. This not only simplifies administration but also prevents fraud because tickets cannot be used multiple times."

The second application, DRTF (Database for Rail, Tariffs and Fares), which is currently being rolled out, ensures efficient exchange of fare information. "Instead of complex direct connections between systems, 35 European railway companies upload their fares to our central database. This enables NS, for example, to independently sell tickets for German trains, without technical dependency on Deutsche Bahn."

The newest addition, RTMDE (Real-Time Mobility Data Exchange), offers a breakthrough in real-time travel information. "This application collects updates on status, delays, platform changes and disruptions of passenger trains throughout Europe. With potentially 180 million messages daily, this service provides crucial travel information during international train journeys."

Flexible, reliable and cost-effective

The decision to choose serverless AWS services proves to be a technically and commercially strategic choice. "When all railway companies send updates about every stop, every departure and every delay, we potentially process 180 million messages per day," says Ruiz. "The architecture we designed together with inQdo offers us maximum flexibility and cost optimisation."

The result is a series of applications that are both reliable and cost-effective. "By focusing on serverless infrastructure, we have a solution that automatically scales with demand. That's not only technically elegant, but also ensures predictable costs, even with enormous peaks in usage," explains Ruiz. His colleague, Hans van Walsem, responsible for corporate affairs at Hit Rail, emphasises the value of this approach: "As a small organisation, we must operate very efficiently. The transparent working method and frequent communication with inQdo ensures that we get maximum value from our IT investments."

Benefits for European train travellers

All these technical innovations deliver direct, noticeable benefits for millions of European travellers. "Ultimately, it's about passengers being able to travel more easily, reliably and comfortably through Europe," explains Ruiz. "With our technology, they get real-time information about delays, can use international e-tickets without problems, and have access to current fare information - all essential for a worry-free travel experience."

"We're part of a larger movement in the European railway sector," continues Ruiz. "The railways have drawn up a joint CER Ticketing Roadmap that addresses various aspects of international train travel. People don't want to spend hours planning a train journey through Europe, or remain in the dark during disruptions. Our applications make it possible to remove these barriers." The impact is not only noticeable for the more than 60 railway companies from 28 countries that use Hit Rail's services, but especially for their millions of passengers. "Every time a traveller buys international train tickets without problems, receives real-time updates about his connecting train, or can use his e-ticket without problems during cross-border travel, he benefits from this technology," he emphasises. "Through this improved travel experience, the train becomes a more attractive alternative to flying, ultimately contributing to more sustainable mobility in Europe."

The collaboration between Hit Rail and inQdo shows how a small, specialised organisation with the right technological partner can significantly impact. By connecting the traditional world of railways with modern cloud technology, they are building together a digital infrastructure that is essential for the future of European rail traffic. "The foundation is a timely exchange of high-quality information," López concludes. "And with inQdo as our cloud development partner, we ensure that information is always reliable, scalable and future-proof - ultimately for the benefit of every European train traveller."