Challenge: High Demand During Presales
Every year in October, the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) faces a particularly challenging period: the presale for the popular panoramic trains “Glacier Express” and “Bernina Express” begins, and within a very short time there is an enormous surge in online ticket sales. In past years, these peak moments put high demands on the systems, and it was often unclear to customers when exactly they could purchase their tickets.
The Solution: Smart Queuing – An Innovative Digital Waiting Room Concept
This year, we at Alturos developed an intelligent solution in close cooperation with RhB: a so-called “waiting room” concept, similar to what is known from large ticket sales for concerts or sporting events. Users are guided into a controlled queue during high load – without overloading the system.
What makes it special: Alturos DestinationOS Smart Queuing was implemented centrally and is supported by both the frontends of the JAMES webshop and the B2B cashdesk. This enabled us to ensure a robust and unified solution that remained stable throughout the critical phases – for both B2C and B2B customers.
The Result: Stable Systems Despite Peak Loads
The results speak for themselves: during this year’s presale there were no outages, and sales ran smoothly and in a controlled manner. The RhB shop easily handled the enormous demand. We at Alturos demonstrated how innovative technology and teamwork can efficiently manage peak loads.
With Smart Queuing, Alturos sets a new standard for high-traffic online sales situations and supports our customers in maximizing their revenue and satisfying their users even during peak times.
We are pleased to share feedback from Daniel Riedi, Sales Systems Specialist at the Rhaetian Railway:
“At this year’s timetable launch, it was particularly important for us that the systems run stably and are available without interruption. In past years, we struggled with very high demand during the timetable launch. To put an end to this problem and ensure system stability, we commissioned Alturos to develop a “waiting room”. With this, we can control the load, utilize the systems deliberately up to their maximum capacity, and prevent outages. The waiting room was active from October 15th to October 19th, 2025, and successfully absorbed the large surge.”
Header image: ©Rhaetian Railway, Erik Süsskind
About Rhaetian Railway:
The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) moves the canton of Graubünden and fascinates customers from all over the world. RhB is the largest Alpine railway in Switzerland, with a 384 km long rail network across Graubünden that leads through breathtaking landscapes. It is known for its panoramic trains such as the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express, as well as for the UNESCO World Heritage Albula/Bernina line. In addition to these modern offerings, RhB also provides nostalgic journeys with historic trains and a wide range of themed experiences.
For more information, please visit www.rhb.ch
About Alturos:
Alturos Destinations is an international key player that provides solutions for the perfect planning and implementation of digitalization strategies in tourism.
We focus on building long-term partnerships, driving innovation, concentrating on first-class customer experiences & dynamic developments. We have been accompanying the digital transformation in tourism for more than 20 years.
For more information, please visit www.alturos.com
