EN 50128

EN 50128
Standard	EN 50128
Title	Railway applications — Communication, signaling and processing systems — Software for railway control and protection systems
Published by	European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Year	2001, 2011
Status	updated

EN 50128 EN 50128 is a European technical standard specifying requirements for software in railway signaling and protection systems. It interfaces with standards and organizations across transportation and safety regulation, influencing projects and procurement in railways, signaling, and control engineering. The standard informs development, verification, and certification activities conducted by manufacturers, operators, regulators, and notified bodies across Europe and beyond.

Overview

EN 50128 situates itself within the body of standards that includes EN 50126, EN 50129, IEC 61508, CENELEC, and International Electrotechnical Commission. It addresses software aspects of safety-related systems used by operators such as Deutsche Bahn, Network Rail, SNCF, ÖBB, and Trenitalia and integrators including Siemens, Alstom, Bombardier Transportation, Hitachi Rail, and Thales Group. The standard influences projects related to signaling products like European Train Control System, ERTMS, CBTC, ATP, and ETCS and informs contractual frameworks used by authorities such as Office of Rail and Road and Agence de l'innovation de défense.

Scope and Objectives

EN 50128 defines software lifecycle processes, techniques, and documentation needed to demonstrate that software in railway control and protection systems achieves required safety integrity. It aligns with objectives from regulatory entities like European Union Agency for Railways, Department for Transport (UK), Federal Railway Authority (Germany), Ministry of Transport (Italy), and Swiss Federal Office of Transport. The scope spans product classes used in projects by companies such as Bombardier, CAF, Hyundai Rotem, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Stadler Rail and affects subsystems in schemes like High Speed Rail, Light Rail Transit, Metropolitan Subway, Intercity Rail, and Freight Rail.

Safety Integrity and Software Lifecycle

EN 50128 introduces safety-related software integrity concepts that map to integrity levels used by IEC 61508 and sectoral standards referenced by bodies such as European Commission and International Union of Railways. It specifies lifecycle phases from concept, requirements, design, implementation, integration, to maintenance, influencing models used by organizations like Siemens Mobility, Thales Digital Factory, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, and academic groups at ETH Zurich and University of Birmingham. The lifecycle guidance connects with certification processes overseen by notified bodies including TÜV Rheinland, DEKRA, DNV GL, and Bureau Veritas.

Development Processes and Techniques

The standard prescribes development processes, documentation, and technique application for software engineering practices adopted by companies such as IBM, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft, AdaCore, and Vector Informatik. It references programming languages and toolchains used in industry projects like Ada, C++, C, Java, and Model-Based Design approaches employing tools from MathWorks, SCADE Suite, IBM Rational, Eclipse Foundation, and GitHub. Practices align with systems engineering and project management methods utilized at Atkins, Arup Group, AECOM, and Ramboll.

Verification, Validation, and Testing

EN 50128 mandates verification and validation activities, including reviews, static analysis, and dynamic testing, intersecting with commercial testing frameworks from VectorCAST, LDRA, Parasoft, Canary Testing approaches, and research from institutions like Fraunhofer Society and CEA. Test strategies support acceptance by operators such as SNCB/NMBS and Deutsche Bahn AG and integrate with field testing on infrastructure managed by Network Rail and RFI. The standard's test documentation practices connect with software configuration management tools from Atlassian and Perforce.

Certification and Compliance

Compliance to EN 50128 is demonstrated through documentation, evidence, and assessment by independent assessors and certification bodies including TÜV SÜD, BSI Group, SGS, and Intertek. It is referenced in procurement and contractual clauses used by authorities like Transport for London and RATP Group and adopted in projects funded or overseen by entities such as European Investment Bank and World Bank transport programs. Conformity assessment intersects with legal and regulatory frameworks administered by courts and ministries including European Court of Justice and national ministries of transport.

Implementation Issues and Industry Impact

Adoption of EN 50128 has driven changes in supplier behavior, tool qualification, and project governance at firms including Siemens Mobility, Alstom Transport, Hitachi Rail Europe, and Bombardier Transportation and influenced academic curricula at Technical University of Munich and Politecnico di Milano. Implementation challenges include tool qualification, legacy software migration seen in fleets like London Underground and Paris Métro, and harmonization across jurisdictions such as European Union member states, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey. The standard informs interoperability initiatives like Shift2Rail and affects innovation programs run by Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe.

Category:Rail transport standards