Seamless Travel across the Atlantic area Regions using sustainable Transport

Programme 2007 - 2013 Atlantic Area

Date of latest update: 2025-04-26

Description

Description (EN):

This project addresses both the ACCESSIBILITY issue and the intensification of inter-regional relationships in relation to the transport of passengers, and the consortium is willing to take on the role as THE strategic project for ACCESSIBILITY. The main objectives of START are: 1. To improve the accessibility of regions and the interconnection of passenger transport networks; and 2. To establish a transnational network of regional and local authorities and other actors to promote enhanced accessibility. The specific objectives of START are: 1. To make it easy for people to travel to, from and around Europe using a combination of local public transport and inter-regional transport services; 2. To design and develop high-quality information services for travellers that are accessible for all; 3. To design and develop easy to use advanced ticketing systems; 4. To design and develop high quality, easy to use and convenient public transport services; and 5. To establish the INTEGRA concept for seamless travel as a recognised, sustainable and well used product across Europe.

Achievements (EN):

The increase in demand for travel has led to a rapid growth in interregional transport services such as high speed train services, passenger ferry operators and, in particular, low-cost airlines. Unless the growth in inter-regional travel capacity and demand is matched by developments in local public transport systems, additional strain will be placed upon local transport networks across Europe. Within the overall context of an efficient and sustainable transport system, it is vital that the information provided at transnational terminals is improved along with the local transport connections to the terminals themselves. The main objectives of START were to improve the accessibility of regions and the interconnection of passenger transport networks and the establishment of a transnational network of regional and local authorities and other actors to promote enhanced accessibility within the AA. To accomplish the objectives the project implemented the means to make it easy for people to travel to, from and around the AA using a combination of local public transport and inter-regional transport services, designing and developing high-quality information services for travellers, developing easy to use advanced ticketing systems and establishing a common brand and concept for seamless travel as a recognised, sustainableand wellused product within the AA. For that purpose, START adopted the INTEGRA brand, an information system easily recognised by travellers developed under the Interreg IIIB Partner project. The main outcomes from the INTEGRA brand were a web portal (www.integra-travel.eu) that aims to provide information and support to travellers in the AA using collective transport modes and also easy recognisable signage, multilingual and accessible at key regional gateways. In this context, the project transformed the prototype portal into a source of sustainable product information for travellers, providing links with other regional websites and with information about transport. The portal's development as a platform for public transport information was continued by extending its scope to address specific needs of different users, such as younger or disabled people or implementing the latest information technology variants, which have been successful in the use of real-time information in Smartphone applications and smart ticketing systems. This infrastructure, information and systems rolled out during START are used by travellers using collective transports in the participating regions of the project. Various cities, local authorities and transport operators have expressed interest in the INTEGRA concept and portal. A series of reports on the activities and recommendations are provided, facilitating the process of adherence of other cities and regions of the AA and especially the possibility to contribute to the broadening of the INTEGRA concept and related products.

Thematic information

Transport and mobility Regional planning and development

Partners (14)

Lead Partner: Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and Executive (Merseytravel)

Address: 24 Hatton Garden, L3 2AN Liverpool, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

Fundação Museu Nacional Ferroviário (FMNF)

Name: Fundação Museu Nacional Ferroviário (FMNF)

Address: Edificio da Estação de Alcântara Terra, 2º piso Avenida de Ceuta 1300-254, 1300-254 Lisbon, Portugal

Legal status: n/a

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (ISEL)

Name: Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (ISEL)

Address: Rua Conselheiro Emídio Navarro, nº 1 1959-007, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal

Legal status: n/a

Comboios de Portugal (CP)

Name: Comboios de Portugal (CP)

Address: Calçada do Duque, 20 1249-109 Lisboa Portugal, 1249-109 Lisboa, Portugal

Legal status: n/a

Câmara Municipal do Entroncamento (CME)

Name: Câmara Municipal do Entroncamento (CME)

Address: Largo José Duarte Coelho 2330 - 078, 2330 - 078 Entroncamento, Portugal

Legal status: n/a

Communauté d’Agglomération de La Rochelle

Name: Communauté d’Agglomération de La Rochelle

Address: 6, rue Saint-Michel 17086 La Rochelle Cedex 02, 17086 La Rochelle, France

Legal status: n/a

Conseil Régional HAUTE-NORMANDIE

Name: Conseil Régional HAUTE-NORMANDIE

Address: 5, rue Robert Schuman BP 1129 F-76174 Rouen Cedex 1, F-76174 Rouen, France

Legal status: n/a

Ecole d'Ingénieurs en génie des Systèmes Industriels (EIGSI)

Name: Ecole d'Ingénieurs en génie des Systèmes Industriels (EIGSI)

Address: 26 rue de Vaux de Foletier 17000 La Rochelle, 17000 La Rochelle, France

Legal status: n/a

Département de Seine-Maritime

Name: Département de Seine-Maritime

Address: Hôtel du Département Quai Jean Moulin 76101 Rouen Cedex 1, 76101 Rouen, France

Legal status: n/a

Strathclyde Partnershp for Transport (spt)

Name: Strathclyde Partnershp for Transport (spt)

Address: Consort House, 12 West George Street, G2 1HN Glasgow, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (Hitrans)

Name: The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (Hitrans)

Address: Building 25, Inverness Airport, IV27JB Inverness, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

Foundation Innovation Centre on Integral Logistics Cantabria (CTL)

Name: Foundation Innovation Centre on Integral Logistics Cantabria (CTL)

Address: Calle Cadiz nº2 39004 Santander (Cantabria), 39004 Santander, Spain

Legal status: n/a

Conseil Régional Basse Normandie

Name: Conseil Régional Basse Normandie

Address: Abbaye aux Dames Place Reine Mathilde BP 523 14035 CAEN CEDEX FRANC, 14035 Caen, France

Legal status: n/a

Conseil régional de Bretagne

Name: Conseil régional de Bretagne

Address: 283 avenue du Général Patton CS 21101 35711 RENNES cedex 7, 35711 Rennes, France

Legal status: n/a

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Seamless Travel across the Atlantic area Regions using sustainable Transport

Project acronym: START

Project start date: 2009-01-01

Project end date: 2011-12-30

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 7 447 555.67

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 4 840 911.19

Co-financing sources:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2007 - 2013 Atlantic Area

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2015-12-01

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

70 / 70 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

655 / 655 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme

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Seamless Travel across the Atlantic area Regions using sustainable Transport

Description

Thematic information

Partners (14)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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