Standardisation and Collaboration Drive Progress in Digital Signalling at WDF

From 15–17 October 2025, the Wayside Digitalisation Forum (WDF) convened at the Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere, bringing together railway operators, technology providers, system integrators, and industry experts from around the world.

Over three days, discussions centred on the digital transformation of railway signalling and wayside infrastructure, with particular emphasis on standardisation and reducing system complexity across national boundaries — issues of growing relevance in Europe and beyond.

The forum’s technical programme was organised into several thematic streams covering digital interlocking, system architecture, predictive maintenance, and cross-system integration. Speakers from Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia shared implementation experiences, offering a global view of digital signalling initiatives.

Key topics included:

• Digital interlocking as a platform for ETCS rollout, drawing on case studies such as DB InfraGO’s Donauwörth project
• EULYNX and modular signalling architectures, focusing on how standardisation can enable flexibility and interoperability
• Predictive maintenance and digital twins, presented by ÖBB and international technology partners
• Monitoring and diagnostics, with contributions from Network Rail and KONUX
• Operational value through digital diagnostics, featuring examples from Infrabel

A central theme of the discussions was the role of standardisation, particularly through frameworks such as EULYNX, in making signalling systems interoperable while simplifying engineering and operations.

Michael Leining, Managing Director of Nextrail and moderator of the panel sessions said:

We had controversial discussions about this in both panels. System integration was the other big topic that we were speaking about. There are challenges for all the infrastructure managers as well as suppliers to handle system integration when it comes to standardisation.

Across the sessions, participants highlighted that successful digital transformation depends not only on technological progress but also on organisational alignment and regulatory support.

The forum drew approximately 220 participants from 30 countries and 81 railway organisations, including 29 speakers across 20 presentations and two panel discussions. Attendees valued the opportunity to connect practical experiences with strategic planning, strengthening collaboration across borders and sectors.

The event demonstrated continued momentum in digital railway transformation and the need for cooperative approaches to achieve interoperable, maintainable, and future-ready signalling systems.

Alexander Kruse, Technical Product Manager, SNCF, observed:

I think it's very important to organise such events because one of the biggest problems in our work is to address the right topic to the right person. Such events allow us to meet the right people and to speak, to establish the contact so we can work together to find solutions for our day-to-day problems.

The message from Vienna was clear: the digital transformation of railway signalling is advancing steadily, and its success will depend on continued collaboration between infrastructure managers, suppliers, and technology partners worldwide.