The existing RDS telematics system had been a central component of railway operations for many years, connecting a central server with numerous vehicle clients. The need for comprehensive modernisation was driven by the steady increase in system load, the emergence of new functional requirements and the high safety specifications.
Challenges in railway technology: safety, standards and digitalisation
The railway sector has particularly high demands for reliability, compliance with standards, and safety. Systems must be stable over long periods of time and meet strict industry standards, requiring verifiable quality assurance and validation processes. At the same time, the need for energy-efficient, resource-saving and intelligent solutions is growing, due to factors such as increasing automation, urbanisation and the growing number of digital processes in the railway sector.
Need for specialised know-how: Railway engineering expertise as a success factor
In order to facilitate the further development of the system, it was necessary to engage the services of a partner who would be able to make a significant contribution to the project, in particular with regard to their in-depth expertise in the domain of railway software and system development processes, safety standards, verification and validation, and the modernisation of extant IT platforms.
Konzept Informationssysteme has extensive experience in developing safety-related railway systems, systematic requirements engineering, and software architecture with high safety standards. The company is also experienced in modernising and scaling complex platforms.
Security-oriented software and systems engineering
The existing system architecture was analysed and remodelled at the outset using a structured systems engineering approach. A controlled procedure was required for systems that had to function reliably in a railway or vehicle environment. Consequently, methods were employed for requirements analysis, risk identification, architecture planning, and safety-oriented development processes.
Future-proof telematics platform for the rail sector
The modernisation has created a future-proof, scalable and maintenance-friendly telematics system that is technically and organisationally prepared for future requirements.
Standard-compliant verification, validation and quality assurance
The focus was on the comprehensive verification and validation of all developed functions. These included:
- Security testing, device and integration testing
- Validation of requirements
- Test automation with modern frameworks
- End-to-end CI pipelines for reproducible builds
- Monitoring and diagnostic tools for operational use
These measures ensure compliance with railway engineering quality standards and guarantee high operational reliability, traceability and long-term stability of the telematics platform.
Modular architecture for scalability, robustness and maintainability
The architecture was comprehensively revised and modularised to enable future expansions to be implemented efficiently. Key steps in this process included:
- Clear separation of functional modules on the server and client side
- Optimisation of server-side process chains and data flows
- Stabilised, redundant communication channels between vehicles and headquarters
- Use of structured Java/Spring frameworks to improve scalability and efficiency
Updated technology platform for backend and clients
To modernise the technical infrastructure, a future-proof technology stack was established, enabling long-term further development:
Backend & data storage
- Java, Spring, Spring Boot
- Maven, Tomcat, MyBatis, Jackson, Apache Commons
- PostgreSQL as a reliable database backend
Client and UI technologies
- JSF for structured web interfaces
- Eclipse RCP & OSGi for modular, expandable vehicle clients
The modernised platform supports significantly higher maintainability, improves performance and facilitates the integration of new functions.
Security, monitoring & diagnostics
In order to meet the high requirements of safety-critical railway systems, new diagnostic and monitoring functions have been introduced:
- Monitoring with VisualVM and advanced logging mechanisms
- Performance analyses and targeted refactoring
- Development of advanced diagnostic functions for vehicle and server processes
These measures increase operational safety and enable early detection of potential malfunctions.
Documentation & traceability
All the documents relating to how the system is operated, configured and deployed have been fully updated. In addition, safety-related documentation has been created to meet regulatory requirements for railway technology.
The improved documentation structure ensures transparency during operation, simplifies maintenance processes, and enables long-term, secure further development.
Conclusion: Prepared for the future
Thanks to the combination of railway-specific expertise, safety-oriented processes and modern software technology, the RDS system is now optimally prepared for the requirements of a dynamic, digitalised railway environment.