Between hikers and skiers: How the Söllereckbahn used the off-season to optimize

Technical inspection

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Technical inspection covers the regular servicing and inspection of cable cars, lifts and other parts of a mountain railway. This includes replacing worn parts, checking the electrical and mechanical systems and cleaning the installations. It ensures not only the safety of passengers in transit, but also that the installations function properly and that operations run smoothly.

As a rule, this inspection takes place in the off-season between the ski and summer seasons, when the installations are less busy. Servicing and inspection by the technicians can be carried out during this period without disrupting normal operations. Regular technical inspections allow problems to be identified and rectified early, before dangerous situations arise.

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Commercial review

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Alongside the technical inspection, the off-season should be used to consider the profitability and cost optimisation of the mountain railway operation. Which investments and upgrades could make processes more efficient in the coming high season? As strongly seasonal and weather-dependent businesses, mountain railways have a particular interest in cutting cost drivers and in identifying and realising revenue potential.

The following points are worth evaluating:

Optimising staffing: many tourism businesses are badly affected by the shortage of skilled workers, which makes an evaluation of staffing resources essential. The question is how the tasks that arise can be divided up efficiently without overloading the team.

Saving time: saving time also takes pressure off staff.  It is therefore worth evaluating which processes can be automated and how much faster they can then run. Ideally this also makes life easier for the railway's customers and increases their satisfaction.

Generating revenue: the question of possible revenue potential should also be asked, in order to generate income beyond the fares themselves. Given how strongly seasonal these businesses are, it is always worth looking for approaches that create a year-round source of income.

Reducing costs: alongside higher revenue, cutting the costs incurred naturally contributes to greater profit as well. Which cost drivers in the business can be reduced, and which can be avoided altogether?

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How the Söllereckbahn used the off-season for improvements

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The operator of the Söllereckbahn in Oberstdorf, Bavaria, seized the opportunity during the off-season in spring 2023 and equipped its parking areas with the digital parking solution from Peter Park. The decision in favour of the system was driven by the challenges arising from how the site had been managed until then. Among them was the fact that vehicles could enter and leave the railway's car parks unchecked. Checking the parking tickets that drivers had to buy from a machine and display in the vehicle was also difficult – staff patrols could not guarantee that every case was captured.
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Since May 2023, all vehicles entering and leaving the Söllereckbahn's parking areas have been captured using GDPR-compliant licence plate recognition. Staff who previously had to spend time on patrol can now devote themselves to value-adding tasks, and capturing all parking transactions digitally makes it possible to generate new income spread across the whole year.

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Maximum profitability through digital parking management

One important factor that should emerge from an analysis of the commercial aspects is the optimisation of parking management. This approach is neglected far too often, yet digital parking management for mountain railways holds numerous opportunities: optimising processes, easing the load on staff, saving time, reducing costs and generating a season-independent source of income.

A digital parking system makes it possible to run a car park more profitably and more conveniently for customers. Conventional barriers are unnecessary here, because licence plates are captured automatically by cameras as vehicles enter the site. The parking transaction starts this way, with no need to stop at a barrier.

Once the stay is over, customers can pay as usual at a pay station by debit or credit card, or by phone. There is also the option of simply driving off the site and having the parking transaction and cashless payment handled automatically via a partner parking app. Capturing the licence plate on entry and exit is then used not only to determine the parking duration, but also to process the payment automatically in the background – which makes the trip to the pay station unnecessary for visitors.

If you would like your mountain railway to benefit from these advantages too, you can calculate the potential of your parking area in 3 steps here.

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Easing the load on staff through automation

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Setting up a digital parking management system removes a number of unwelcome tasks for a mountain railway's staff. Administering parking areas is considerably more efficient than before, because patrols are no longer necessary and all data can be viewed quickly and easily. Analyses and revenue forecasts can also be produced for staff with minimal effort. Outsourcing the enforcement of parking violations to an external provider takes further pressure off the team. This saves costs and staff time and frees up resources for other areas of work.

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Year-round income

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Digital parking management gives mountain railway operators the opportunity to open up new, season-independent sources of income.

Parking charges can be tailored to different customer groups, so businesses can offer day or season tickets, for example. Unauthorised parkers such as long-stay parkers, campers or ski tourers can also be deterred without additional cost or staffing effort. Pursuing them generates additional revenue and keeps the spaces free for the railway's paying customers.

Because the parking management system is active around the clock, seven days a week, and therefore runs outside the railway's operating hours as well, it can produce additional income outside those hours. This reduces the heavy dependence on weather and seasonal conditions.

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Lower hardware maintenance costs

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By implementing a digital, barrier-free parking management system, mountain railway operators can save on servicing, repairs and enforcement staff. Downtime caused by faulty barriers is also avoided, because barriers are replaced by ANPR technology and the digital management system. The low-maintenance hardware of the Peter Park System is considerably cheaper to buy and service than conventional parking systems, and it also reduces electricity consumption. Staff patrols of the site are not required, as penalty notices for unauthorised parkers are generated and pursued automatically. This effectively reduces the operating costs of the parking area and opens up additional revenue potential.

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Satisfied guests

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Digital parking management solutions offer a mountain railway's guests many advantages, such as fast, convenient parking with no queues at barriers or at pay stations. Flexible payment options add to satisfaction as well.. Because paper tickets are unnecessary, there are no charges for lost tickets either. All of this makes for a more pleasant and relaxed parking experience: visitors have more time to enjoy nature and the mountains and simply have a thoroughly positive experience – and satisfied guests, as we know, are glad to come back.

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Copyright header image © Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal Bergbahnen

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