QUIETERRAIL D4.1 List of use cases and optimisation criteria QUIETERRAIL aims to support the development of quieter...
Deliverables: Results Published in June 2026
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Next-Generation Train Positioning for Consistent and Interoperable Railway Data
The challenge
In the railway sector, achieving reliable, continuous and interoperable positioning remains a major challenge due to fragmented onboard architectures, GNSS signal degradation in constrained environments, and the increasing need to support both operational and future safety-critical applications on a unified data basis.
The solution
Within this context, Europe’s Rail (EU-Rail) has developed an approach to harmonise onboard positioning and enable consistent, scalable integration across rail services.
The proposed architecture embeds a Positioning and Navigation Module (PNM) directly into the onboard train‑to‑cloud application, enabling a single, authoritative positioning source for all onboard and cloud services. This unified integration removes functional duplication, simplifies data management and ensures consistent, time‑synchronised position information for multiple applications.
A COTS GNSS receiver, validated against railway‑grade equipment, provides the primary positioning input. Accuracy and continuity are enhanced through data fusion with odometry, Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) sensors and digital track maps, ensuring reliable performance even in GNSS‑challenged environments typical of regional lines.
A standardised data exchange architecture structures how the system acquires, processes and distributes positioning data. Clear modular separation supports maintainability and enables easy reuse of the positioning service for additional operational or safety‑related applications, including future low‑cost signalling or interlocking interactions.
The design eliminates intermediate gateways and conversion hardware, reducing complexity, latency and integration effort.
Readiness for Industrialisation and Deployment
What it does
The next industrialisation steps focus on scaling field‑test coverage across multiple G2* railway contexts, demonstrating long‑term reliability and preparing the module for certification and large‑scale deployment.
Maturity level
TRL 5 (Next steps focus on scaling in demo settings and incremental development).)
Expected benefits
- ≥15% CAPEX reduction and ≥15% OPEX reduction for positioning scope vs. current figures, leveraging COTS and unified onboard integration.
- System‑level robustness and maintainability by eliminating intermediate gateways, ensuring consistent, time‑stamped data for multiple consumers.
Who benefits
Infrastructure Managers
Railway operators
Suppliers
Final users
Conclusion
EU-RAIL’s federated, IP-based onboard-to-cloud architecture replaces legacy communication systems with a standardised approach, enabling streamlined communications, scalable data services, and improved reliability across the railway ecosystem.
Learn more about the project
FP6-FutuRe
This solution has been developed within the EU-Rail Flagship Project FP6-FutuRe, whose overall objectives are to ensure the long-term viability of the regional railway by reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO), while ensuring high service quality and operational reliability.