Where it all began for S3 Passenger – HKX
While S3 Passenger is now used across many countries in the world, only a single operator can be the first to utilise S3 Passenger. The first rail operator to use S3 Passenger was the Hamburg-Köln Express.
The Hamburg-Köln-Express was an open-access train operating company based out of Cologne that provided long-distance railway passenger services in Germany. It operated regular services between Hamburg-Altona and Cologne after its launch in July of 2012.
This “value” passenger rail service between Cologne and Hamburg had travel times as fast as the IC train, but at much more affordable prices. It was able to reach a maximum speed of 160 kmh (100 mph) with a journey time that was a little over 4 hours over the 450 kmh (280 mile) main line with intermediate stops at Osnabrück, Münster, Gelsenkirchen, Essen, Duisburg, and Düsseldorf.
A partnership until the end
The Hamburg-Köln-Express and Sqills maintained their partnership until the middle of 2017 when the Hamburg-Köln-Express ceased its operation due to economic reasons.
The valuable experience acquired from the partnership with the Hamburg-Köln-Express meant that Sqills had its foot in the door and had taken the first step towards becoming the leading dynamic pricing, inventory management, and reservation system on the market today.
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