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EU-Rail May 2026 Newsletter
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Digital Reality Model for Accurate Railway Infrastructure Representation
Challenge
Railway infrastructure deployment requires highly accurate and up-to-date information, yet real-world conditions are often difficult to fully capture in design processes. This can slow down modernisation efforts.
The solution
The Europe’s Rail (EU-Rail) Reality Model addresses this challenge through precise digital representation.
The Reality Model is a fully digital 3D version of the real rail infrastructure. The Leonardo measurement train collects data above and below ground and combines it with information from the infrastructure manager’s databases. This makes sure that new designs match the actual situation in the field, helping to speed up the rollout of ERTMS/ETCS.
Readiness for Industrialisation and Deployment
What it does
The Reality Model has already been piloted in the Netherlands. Strukton Rail plans to further optimise the tool over the coming year, with the first full operational use expected by the end of 2026. The aim is for the Reality Model to become a standard tool for infrastructure designers, maintenance planning, and ERTMS deployment across the Dutch network and potentially elsewhere in Europe.
Maturity level
TRL 7
Expected benefits
- Accurate infrastructure validation: the Reality Model gives a highly accurate view of the real‑life rail infrastructure. It makes it possible to check whether designs (such as balise placement and axle counter positions) can physically be built in the field, helping to avoid failure costs during construction. This supports a faster and more reliable rollout of ERTMS/ETCS across Europe.
- Support for data-driven maintenance: it benefits maintenance teams that want to move toward more data‑driven planning.
- Cost-effective data collection and updating: The Leonardo measurement train, which carries all key measurement technologies on board, can run between regular train traffic at relatively low cost, making it easy to keep the Reality Model updated with fresh data.
Who benefits
Infrastructure Managers
Railway operators
Suppliers
Conclusion
In conclusion, the EU-Rail Reality Model strengthens infrastructure planning by enabling accurate design validation against real-world conditions, improving reliability throughout the deployment process. At the same time, it helps accelerate the rollout of ERTMS, making implementation more efficient and targeted.
Learn more about the project
FP3-IAM4Rail
This solution has been developed within the EU-Rail Flagship Project FP3-IAM4RAIL. The project FP3-IAM4RAIL focuses on seven different integrated demonstrators for rail assets which are key for research and innovation in the rail sector.