ovos and Westbahn enjoy a long-standing partnership: since 2009, ovos has been supporting the private railway company in its digital development, creating digital experiences that are playful, innovative and put the focus on customer service.
The challenge
For ovos, the challenge was a classic service design question: How can Westbahn extend the digital experience beyond the ticket purchase, guide passengers playfully throughout their entire journey, and integrate existing digital features (e.g. Relax Check-in)?
The solution: WestBuddy
WestBuddy is a context-sensitive travel companion. It recognises in real time which stage of the journey a passenger is at – and displays exactly the information that is relevant at that moment. The design principle behind it is progressive disclosure: at every stage, the passenger sees only what matters right now – as much as necessary, as little as possible.
Before departure: Everything at a glance
During the journey: Always fully informed
Once you depart, WestBuddy automatically switches to ride mode and displays relevant, animated real-time information:
Just before arrival: Continue your journey seamlessly
Before the train approaches your destination, WestBuddy proactively switches to arrival mode and displays:
Technical background
WestBuddy is based on a Real-Time Service (RTS), which continuously delivers live data to the app and website. Server-Sent Events (SSE) are used to connect the app or web client to the web server – a lightweight push channel that delivers real-time updates such as train arrivals, delays, or operational notices directly to passengers, without the app having to request them. In the background, the web server communicates with the trains and the database via MQTT, a lightweight messaging protocol that is well established for reliable real-time communication in mobile environments. The result: WestBuddy reacts immediately to what is currently happening on the train – reliably, without delay and without unnecessary data usage.
Result & Outlook
In the very first week, around 16,000 unique users made use of WestBuddy – a clear sign that context-sensitive travel guidance has resonated strongly. And this is just the beginning: the next phase of development is already underway. Plans include real-time platform guidance and dynamic live notifications that display journey progress and automatically update in the event of delays. The interactive map will become significantly more detailed with additional information; real-time data will also be fed into Google Maps in future, and a new “Train Radar” view shows all Westbahn trains currently in service on a map. The update is rounded off by a customisable FAB button – a direct response to user feedback.