Cooperation

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

The International Organization for Standardization(ISO) is an independent, non-governmental international organisation that focuses on the development and publication of international standards in both technical and non-technical fields. It officially commenced operations in 1947 and currently has members from over 164 countries. To date, it has published over 23,000 international standards.

As of 2020, railML.org serves as the official liaison to the ISO Technical Committee on Intelligent Transport Systems (TC 204). The primary function of railML.org is to provide support in the development of Project 4398 by offering expertise and insights into the requirements of the railway industry.

Since 2022, railML has been established as an ISO standard (ISO/TS 4398) worldwide under the marketing name RailDax (Railway Data Exchange). RailDax is aimed on facilitating the planning of railway operations between organisations in the transportation sector and enable efficient and less ambiguous data exchange.

European Union Agency for Railways (ERA)

The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) is a pivotal organisation in the field of railway development and safety within the European Union. It provides EU Member States and the European Commission with technical assistance in the development and implementation of the Single European Railway Area. Practically that implies the development and implementation of Technical Specifications for Interoperability and a mutual approach to questions concerning railway safety.  

railML.org engages in collaborative endeavours with ERA within the RINF project, particularly on the development of use cases for data transformation. On 30 May 2023, a Memorandum of Intent was signed between ERA and railML.org, aimed at improving railway data standardisation and interoperability in their respective areas of activities. A key achievement of this cooperation has been the publication of the ERA and railML ontologies, which provide a common understanding across various subdomains of railway data.

Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer (UIC)

The International Union of Railways (UIC) is a global organisation that promotes rail transport and collaboratively develops railway systems. Its primary focus is on standardising industry practices.

Between 2012 and 2017, railML.org cooperated with the UIC on the development of a railway infrastructure model known as RailTopoModel. In Spring 2016, RailTopoModel was incorporated into one of UIC's newly established International Railway Standards, designated "IRS 30100".

Subsequently, since 2019, the development of RailTopoModel has been undertaken by raiML.org, based on railML versions. Further information regarding RailTopoModel can be found on the website.

European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL)

The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) is an international organisation coordinating air traffic control in Europe. AIXM (Aeronautical Information Exchange Model) is a model initiated by EUROCONTROL which is based on XML. It enables the management and distribution of Aeronautical Information Services data in digital format and is comparable with railML in the aviation sector.

railML.org took part in the 2015 SWIM master class in Brussels, providing insights into the railML data exchange schema and the data contributed by railML.org partners, (e.g. railway timetables for surface sectors of an air trip).

Through this collaboration, we aim to facilitate connectivity between aviation and rail transport sectors through the collaborative usage of data.