The TimeTable Expert Group (TTEG) meeting was held on 25 and 26 March 2014 at the invitation of MAV-START, the Hungarian Passenger Railway Undertaking, in Budapest.
34 participants representing 19 railway companies were present.
UIC was represented by Marc Guigon, Senior Advisor for Passenger Transport, Fabrice Setta, Senior Advisor for eBusiness and Joachim Baars, consultant.
The TTEG is a community of Railway Undertakings that publishes consolidated timetable data to be used in information systems to support journey planners and booking activities.
The agenda focused on the new MERITS, with the meeting being divided into two parts.
On the afternoon of 25 November, MAV-START presented its company. Dominique Margottin presented an update of the status of TAP-TSI.
Joachim Baars presented the data quality with the new MERITS, the integration process, the modifications of the software and messages.
Then Fabrice Setta presented the data updates, statistics, adaptations for TAP-TSI, minimum connecting time.
On the morning of 26 November, Frank Martini from HaCon, the German-based company that developed and maintains the new MERITS, presented the experiences and new features of the new MERITS database.
Andreas Jung, from DB Vertrieb, MERITS data manager, presented the possible upgrading of the new MERITS in order to increase usability and ergonomics, and to add some new functions.
Henrik Nyman, from Linkon in Sweden, gave feedback on the new MERITS.
Lastly, Marc Guigon presented several activities which will use the MERITS data (calculation of number of trains on high speed lines, etc.), gave an update on the MERITS community and welcomed new members. He reminded participants of the rules with regard to providing data to third parties.
Following the first year of the development phase, the new MERITS is becoming a reality and responds to the constant increasing requirements of its users by offering them a modern and adaptable web-based tool.
The next TimeTable Expert Group will be organised by CFR, Romanian Railways.
