One year ago, a first conference concluded a feasibility study, demonstrating that an industrial solution for infrastructure data storage and exchange was at hand.

UIC is now happy to present working solutions, in view of a standard to be delivered in 2015, according to plan.

The UIC RailTopoModel is a topological model that makes it possible to represent the iron network and related objects (infrastructure, traffic, works…) for all sorts of usages: company-internal, or in relation with customers, suppliers, or authorities.
The first operational version of the UIC RailTopoModel shall be presented, together with real applications on networks and corridors.

Making the data interoperable requires a corresponding data exchange format to be developed. For that purpose, a pre-version of railML® 3 shall be presented. The conjunction of a universal topological model and “interoperable” data exchanged via railML® will provide a real improvement on quality, and considerable cost reductions.

RailML® is a de facto standard, and the UIC RailTopoModel will be turned into an International Railway Standard (IRS) in 2015. The prospect of them being adopted by UIC members and many other companies leads to the next challenge: how to ensure adequate software maintenance and provide user support. UIC proposes to examine what support is needed and how it can practically be implemented.

On the following day, the 26th railML® users group and conference will take place additionally. Best practices, news, background information and technical descriptions from the current use of railML® timetable, interlocking, infrastructure schemes at authorities, Railway Undertakings and Infrastructure Managers will be discussed.

Please register via http://www.railml.org/index.php/uic-topomodel-conference.html before 1 October 2014.