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Berlin public transport in real time

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Re: Berlin public transport in real time

#131

Post by poelzi »

aap_ wrote: post #125
erikb wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was either the best joke ever, or you haven't used German S-Bahn yet. (The "S" is supposed to be short for the German word for "city" but we jokingly refer to them as "standing still-train" instead of "city-train")

Actually I don't think it is 100% known what the "S" stands for. I think "Stadtschnellbahn" is most likely. The "Stadtbahn" only refers to the east-west route.

maybe its like SOS and stands for nothing, at least at the beginning. It was used because it was easy to morse and not used ;)

Re: Berlin public transport in real time

#134

Post by orless »

germanier wrote: post #78
TeMPOraL wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming that they're even using C. It may as well be a dumped executable Lisp image.

The company behind that software, HAFAS (which is used almost everywhere in the German-speaking countries) constantly advertises for C++ and Java positions. As far as I'm aware the main part of the software, including the web facing portions, is written in C++. The software has a long history, the first webserver with it was started in 1995 and even that most likely reused logic from their first version of 1989. So t…

Small correction: the company is HaCon (http://www.hacon.de/), HaFas is their software.

Re: Berlin public transport in real time

#135

Post by benten10 »

Maultasche wrote: post #129
donkeyd wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely. Many specialist companies are having a hard time hiring. Also, we have some really nice visas for foreign knowledge workers. Depending on your specialization/experience I could give you some tips if you'd like.

I can confirm that. As a US software developer, I have pondered going to live and work in the Netherlands, and I've done some research. Their visa for knowledge migrants (kennismigrant visa) seems to be very easy to apply for and would pretty much apply to anyone who reads this site. You do have to find an employer willing to sponsor you though. The Netherlands is vastly more friendlier to skilled migrants than the U…

I have researched the issue lightly, and am told that EU rules are particularly ...bothersome. Is it true that an EU company has to advertise for/and keep open a position for 3 months and show that none of the applicants met the requirements as compared to the non-EU applicant to be able to hire them?

Re: Berlin public transport in real time

#136

Post by edejong »

tychuz wrote: post #92
trymas wrote: post #73

Real time public transport in Vilnius: http://stops.lt/vilnius/#vilnius/map/en Select this icon: http://stops.lt/vilnius/_images/vehicles.gif , on the right, to show vehicles as bubbles. It is real time from GPS transmitters inside the vehicles.

Busses update their location only every 1 minute and website just sends a get request every 5 seconds. Not what I would call realtime.

What would be real time for you? Every second? Millisecond? Or should we make hard constraints on the maximum latency (Furthermore, if it takes 3 minutes to communicate a delayed train, and your screen is still trying to create a make-believe of updating your screen every 50 milliseconds, is it real-time?

I would even say that the 1 minute update is more real-time than the make-believe 50 millisecond updates.

Re: Berlin public transport in real time

#137

Post by edejong »

dearmrpres wrote: post #53

There is a similar tool for the whole world created by a german student a few years ago - http://tracker.geops.de - albeit without RT data for berlin because apparently they dont have access to it. But they do have RT data for the netherlands.

It would really help if people would stop calling this 'real-time', just because it creates the illusion.

Real-time means: physical train slows down, communicates with all interested parties within a limited amount of time (for example: 20 milliseconds). Because of CAP, interested parties either show real-time update within 20 milliseconds, or display 'missing data', or sth. Generally, the latter situation is a failure condition (fails the RT condition).

Re: Berlin public transport in real time

#138

Post by bloodorange »

Maultasche wrote: post #129
donkeyd wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely. Many specialist companies are having a hard time hiring. Also, we have some really nice visas for foreign knowledge workers. Depending on your specialization/experience I could give you some tips if you'd like.

I can confirm that. As a US software developer, I have pondered going to live and work in the Netherlands, and I've done some research. Their visa for knowledge migrants (kennismigrant visa) seems to be very easy to apply for and would pretty much apply to anyone who reads this site. You do have to find an employer willing to sponsor you though. The Netherlands is vastly more friendlier to skilled migrants than the U…

I've spent some there and can confirm a few things:

- English is spoken by a lot of the Dutch (esp. in bigger cities it's almost everyone)

- The Dutch are friendly people and are generally happy to help a stranger

- 30% tax ruling is a boon in a place where the cost of living is high. Please do your calculations carefully before you consider moving to The Netherlands and ensure you have some clarity from your potential employer about the 30% tax ruling. Also remember that if you lose the 30% tax ruling, you (almost always) lose it for good.

- unlike the usa where the visa process treats you like a potential (or a convicted) criminal, the Dutch treat their guests well. I only have good things to say about the process of moving to The Netherlands.

- no amount of reading or watching videos will help you understand how the Dutch are, unless you live among them. They are straightforward, down to earth and a relaxed people.

If you have made up your mind to move to The Netherlands (please do your calculations on earnings vs cost of living before that!), let me know how I can contact you and I'll refer you to the employer who got me to move to Holland (if this prospect interests you).

EDIT: formatting

Re: Berlin public transport in real time

#139

Post by rorykoehler »

erikb wrote: post #115
kokey wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That shouldn't be a problem if the trains are on time.

That was either the best joke ever, or you haven't used German S-Bahn yet. (The "S" is supposed to be short for the German word for "city" but we jokingly refer to them as "standing still-train" instead of "city-train")

You should travel more. You would never complain again. Berlin public transport is amazingly consistent compared to anywhere else I have lived (bar Singapore).

Re: Berlin public transport in real time

#140

Post by Piskvorrr »

ant6n wrote: post #124
Zach_the_Lizard wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding is that with newer CBTC signalling systems--not sure if Berlin is using that--the trains know pretty much exactly where they are on the track, along with the positions of all other trains, speeds, braking distance, etc. This allows the trains to run closer together than they could using fixed block signalling technology. It's not required for full automation, but it makes full automation relatively s…

It seems that often the signalling system and the real time location reporting system aren't integrated. In NYC on many lines you get reports like 'there's a Brooklyn-bound train 2 stops away' that they make over the loud-speakers. Makes me wonder whether they have a separate device that just picks up when trains pass by a track segment, rather than using the information available via the signalling.

Well, that's one of the most archaic systems out there: http://gothamist.com/2015/07/28/subway_steampunk_video.php (Not the oldest, but using the oldest technology). If I understand it correctly, the only information available from the signalling system there is the rudimentary "there's something on this track segment now; it's up to the human controller to figure out what it is, where it came from and where it's headed."
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