Kraftraum-Shuttle: Innovative mobility project for the Rhineland region

Since its launch in November 2024, the Kraftraum Shuttle project has established itself as a pioneering mobility service in the Rhineland region. We spoke to Lisa Claus, former project manager of the Kraftraum Shuttle at Verkehrsverbund Rhein Sieg (VRS), about her impressions of the successful launch, technological innovations during development and future steps for the on-demand transport service in NRW.

Ms. Claus, can you give us an overview of the Kraftraum-Shuttle project?

Lisa Claus: With pleasure. The Kraftraum-Shuttle is a flexible transportation service that can be booked online or by phone - similar to a shared cab. It supplements bus and train services where traditional local transport has reached its limits, such as in the Rhineland region, where our project is based. It offers a modern, environmentally friendly alternative to the car, especially in rural or structurally weaker regions.

How has the project been received so far?

Lisa Claus: Electric vehicles from Rhein-Erft-Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH have been on the road in Bergheim and the surrounding area since November 1, 2024. There was already demand for transport there, but demand has increased further thanks to the Kraftraum Shuttle and targeted marketing measures. In Rommerskirchen - where Busverkehr Rheinland has been operating since March 2025 - we have seen lower passenger numbers so far. This is certainly also due to the fact that there was no comparable service there before. New forms of transport need time to be accepted.

What technological innovations does the Kraftraum-Shuttle offer?

Lisa Claus: The Kraftraum-Shuttle is a flexible on-demand service with over 1,000 virtual stops. Bookings can be made conveniently by phone or via our website, which has been online since March 1, 2025 (https://kraftraum-shuttle.fahrt-buchen.de) The vehicles are specially equipped for people with reduced mobility - comfortable and barrier-free. A special technological feature is that the platform can be used by several municipalities at the same time, can be integrated into existing public transport apps and provides real-time data for both passengers and operators.

Switching providers to ioki was a big step. How is the collaboration going?

Lisa Claus: The collaboration with ioki is very partnership-based and solution-oriented. After switching from the original provider, we were able to quickly set up a stable, multi-client-capable platform with ioki, which is now running successfully in several municipalities. This platform enables efficient route calculation and ride pooling, i.e. the bundling of several journey requests so that people are not alone in their own car but share routes and journeys.

The Kraftraum-Shuttle has been integrated into the VRS journey planner since April 2025. Why was that important?

Lisa Claus: Integration into the VRS journey planner is a key step towards making on-demand services such as the Kraftraum-Shuttle visible and easy to use. Passengers receive suitable connections directly in their usual app - including a link to the booking. This strengthens the link with public transport and makes it easier for new users to access.

What role does the cooperation with Kompetenzcenter Digitalisierung NRW play?

Lisa Claus: Our collaboration with the KCD aims to incorporate the experience gained from the Kraftraum Shuttle into a state-wide NRW on-demand platform in order to offer a standardized solution for the integration and management of on-demand transport. This involves technical and conceptual standards: interfaces for timetable information, legal principles, profitability analyses, etc. We are currently preparing the migration to the new platform on January 1, 2026.

What awaits visitors can expect can expect at the closing event in November?

Lisa Claus: The final event will take place on November 12, 2025 at Schloss Pfaffendorf in Bergheim. We will present the results of the project there and show the close connection to the nationwide platform. We are particularly pleased that Transport Minister Oliver Krischer has confirmed his attendance.

The Kraftraum Shuttle has shown that on-demand services are a valuable building block for modern mobility in NRW.

Ms. Claus, thank you for the interview.