LINX4RAIL2 · Project

A Common Digital Blueprint So Europe's Railways Can Finally Work Together

transportPrototypeTRL 4

projects.shift2rail.org

Imagine every railway company in Europe speaks a different technical language — their trains, signals, and IT systems can't understand each other. It's like trying to connect puzzle pieces from 23 different boxes. LINX4RAIL2 created a shared "grammar" and a master blueprint so all these systems can talk to each other and share data. Think of it as building the universal adapter plug for European rail technology.

By the numbers

consortium partners validating the architecture

European countries represented

78%

industry partners in the consortium

industry organizations involved

total deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe's railways are stuck with incompatible technologies — each country and operator uses different systems that cannot exchange data or work together. This fragmentation drives up lifecycle costs, slows down technology adoption, and makes it nearly impossible to run seamless cross-border services. Railway operators need a common digital language to modernize without scrapping everything they already have.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a final System Functional Architecture for European railways, a Conceptual Data Model (CDM) enabling different simulation and operational subsystems to interoperate, a common data dictionary, modelling specifications based on MBSE and INCOSE standards, and a sustainability plan for maintaining these specifications long-term. In total, 11 deliverables were produced across the project.

Audience

Who needs this

Railway infrastructure managers modernizing their digital systemsSignalling and train control equipment manufacturers targeting cross-border marketsSoftware companies building digital twins or simulation tools for railRailway operators planning cross-border service expansionSystem integrators working on railway IT and operational technology convergence

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Railway Operations & Infrastructure

enterprise

Target: National or regional railway infrastructure managers

If you are a railway infrastructure manager dealing with incompatible systems across your network — this project developed a System Functional Architecture and Conceptual Data Model that lets different operational subsystems run together. With 23 partners from 8 countries validating the approach, this gives you a tested blueprint for making your digital systems interoperable without replacing everything at once.

Rail Signalling & Control Systems

mid-size

Target: Signalling and train control system manufacturers

If you are a signalling equipment manufacturer struggling to make your products work across different European networks — this project created a common data dictionary and modelling specifications that define how subsystems should exchange information. Adopting these specifications positions your products for cross-border compatibility, opening markets beyond your home country.

Digital Twin & Simulation for Transport

SME

Target: Software companies building digital twins or simulation tools for rail

If you are a software company building simulation or digital twin tools for railways — this project defined the Conceptual Data Model that enables different simulation and operational subsystems to run together. Building your tools on this shared data model means your product can integrate with any railway operator adopting the European standard, rather than requiring custom integrations for each client.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this architecture in our railway network?

The project does not publish implementation cost figures. The architecture and data model are outputs of an EU-funded research project, so the specifications themselves are publicly accessible. Implementation costs would depend on the size of your network and existing systems. Contact the consortium for scoping.

Can this scale to a full national railway network?

The architecture was designed for European-wide adoption from the start, with 23 partners from 8 countries contributing requirements. The objective explicitly targets "large adoption for the European railways sector." The Conceptual Data Model is built so that different simulation or operational subsystems can run together at scale.

Who owns the IP and how can we license it?

This was a Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking project (RIA funding scheme), which typically means results are made available to the rail sector under open or FRAND licensing terms. The consortium established a "single repository for System Architecture and CDM with a well-developed sustainability plan." Contact SNCF Réseau (coordinator) for specific licensing terms.

Is this compatible with existing ERTMS and national signalling systems?

The project objective states the architecture accounts for interoperability with existing subsystems. The Conceptual Data Model was specifically designed so that "different simulation or operational subsystems can run together." The 18 industry partners include major rail technology companies who validated compatibility with current systems.

What is the timeline from specification to operational deployment?

The project ran from December 2020 to May 2023 and delivered a final System Functional Architecture with recommendations for the future. This is a specification-stage output — operational deployment would follow through Shift2Rail successor programs and individual operator adoption timelines.

Does this address EU regulatory requirements for rail interoperability?

The project directly supports European railway standardisation efforts. With governance and standardisation listed as core focus areas, and the consortium spanning 8 EU countries, the architecture aligns with EU interoperability directives. The objective targets transforming the European railway system through a common functional vision.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily industry-driven consortium: 18 out of 23 partners (78%) are from industry, with only 1 research organization and zero universities. That's unusual for an EU research project and signals strong commercial intent. The 8-country spread across major European rail markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, UK, Austria, Belgium) means the architecture was stress-tested against diverse national requirements. SNCF Réseau, the French national rail infrastructure manager, leads as coordinator — giving the results institutional weight. The 3 SMEs bring specialized expertise. The absence of universities suggests this is an engineering standardisation effort, not blue-sky research.

SNCF RESEAUCoordinator · FR
HITACHI RAIL GTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBHparticipant · DE
HITACHI RAIL STS SPAparticipant · IT
DEUTSCHE BAHN AGparticipant · DE
KONTRON TRANSPORTATION DEUTSCHLAND GMBHthirdparty · DE
ALSTOM RAIL SWEDEN ABparticipant · SE
SOCIETE NATIONALE SNCFthirdparty · FR
DB INFRAGO AGthirdparty · DE
UNION INTERNATIONALE DES CHEMINS DE FERthirdparty · FR
TRAFIKVERKET - TRVparticipant · SE
NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITEDparticipant · UK
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EVparticipant · DE
ALSTOM BELGIUM SAthirdparty · BE
SIEMENS MOBILITY GMBHparticipant · DE
INDRA SISTEMAS SAparticipant · ES
GEIE DES UTILISATEURS D'ERTMSthirdparty · BE
MER MEC SPAparticipant · IT
KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FUR SCHIENENFAHRZEUGE GMBHparticipant · DE
CAF SIGNALLING S.Lparticipant · ES
RAILENIUMparticipant · FR
FAIVELEY TRANSPORT ITALIA SPAparticipant · IT
ALSTOM TRANSPORT SAparticipant · FR
KONTRON TRANSPORTATION GmbHparticipant · AT

How to reach the team

SNCF Réseau (France) coordinated this project. Use SciTransfer's matchmaking service for a warm introduction to the right technical contact.

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

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