Technology company Glory has launched an IoT enabled vending system with German railway operator Deutsche Bahn.

Passengers at two busy stations in the Munich area will now be able to select fresh, locally sourced produce, either in advance via a web app accessible through their smartphone or directly at the machine.

The first of its kind at any railway station in Germany and branded Zugvogel by Deutsche Bahn, the Glory offering combines IoT-enabled hardware with cloud-based software. The connected nature allows not just convenient consumer ordering through the app, but remote monitoring of the temperature within the refrigerated unit and sell-by dates of the individual items to ensure freshness, together with detailed stock levels to increase availability of popular products while avoiding waste.

With increased consumer interest in understanding more about their food choices, details of ingredients. allergens and the source of the items available are displayed both through the app and via a large screen on the machine. As part of heightened focus on sustainability and environmental impact, food traceability is becoming more important for many consumers and every product purchased through the Zugvogel machines can be tracked backed to the original, local producer.

“We are delighted to be working with such a globally recognised company as Deutsche Bahn on this project,” said Dominik Cipa, director of innovation at Glory. “Our combined cloud-based software and internet of things hardware delivers a complete solution responding to the increasing consumer desire for convenient access, 24 hours a day seven days a week, to fresh locally sourced food choices.”

Following the initial two installations, Deutsche Bahn is planning to deploy further units at stations in Munich and potentially across Germany.

“With the Zugvogel products, travellers and residents can eat healthily, support local producers and thus contribute to a sustainable lifestyle,” said Deutsche Bahn’s Mareike Schoppe, station manager for the stations in Munich and the surrounding area. “This particularly benefits commuters who can provide themselves with a healthy meal to go on their way to work or on their way home. With this service, we want to make the stations more attractive for our guests and thus win more people for the environmentally friendly railway.”