eProsima is contributing safety‑critical communication technology to “AutomatedTrain” – a research and development project by Digitale Schiene Deutschland (DB InfraGO AG) and eight other partners. The project is testing the fully automated, driverless dispatching and stabling of trains as well as their automated preparation and shutdown. Within the “Safe Onboard High Performance Compute Platform” subproject, Safe DDS supports the definition of requirements towards a certification‑ready onboard computing architecture for future fully automated trains.
Building on this contribution, eProsima is working as a technology partner within the AutomatedTrain project. The focus of this work is the definition and validation of a safety‑critical communication and software architecture suitable for future fully automated train operations.
AutomatedTrain is part of Digitale Schiene Deutschland, Deutsche Bahn’s long‑term sector initiative to enhance the performance, and in particular, the efficiency of the existing rail system through technological innovation for automation and digitalization.
Within subproject “Safe Onboard High Performance Compute Platform”, eProsima is delivering a concept study and its prototypical demonstration for a future safety‑oriented onboard computing platform. The work focuses on:
- A clean separation between safety‑critical and non‑critical software domains
- A certification‑ready communication layer based on eProsima Safe DDS, an ISO 26262 ASIL D‑certified Data Distribution Service implementation
- Controlled integration of ROS 2 tooling for non‑critical development, monitoring, and visualization, without introducing certification lock‑in
In the proposed architecture, safety‑relevant functions such as perception and obstacle processing communicate directly over Safe DDS, while development and observability tools operate outside the safety boundary. This approach enables early experimentation while maintaining a credible path toward future certification according to railway safety standards.
“Automated train operation requires not only advanced algorithms, but also a deterministic, traceable, and certifiable communication backbone,” said Jaime Martín, CEO of eProsima.
“This project demonstrates how technologies proven in automotive and robotics can be responsibly adapted to the specific safety and lifecycle requirements of the railway domain.”
The project builds on eProsima’s long‑standing collaboration with Deutsche Bahn, following earlier work in Sensors4Rail, and contributes to defining a scalable and maintainable software foundation for future automated rail systems.
About Deutsche Bahn AG: Shaping the Future of Rail
Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) is one of the world’s leading railway companies, operating passenger and freight transport networks in more than 130 countries. Through its Digitale Schiene Deutschland initiative, DB is driving the digitalization and automation of rail operations, aiming to increase network capacity, reliability, and sustainability. Research programs such as AutomatedTrain lay the technological foundation for future highly automated and autonomous train operations.
About AutomatedTrain: Building the Foundation for Fully Automated Rail Operations
AutomatedTrain is a large-scale research and innovation program led by Deutsche Bahn within the framework of Digitale Schiene Deutschland. The project brings together industry, research, and technology partners to investigate the technologies required for highly automated and autonomous train operation up to Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4).
AutomatedTrain focuses on key building blocks such as onboard computing platforms, perception systems, communication middleware, and safety-oriented software architectures. By validating concepts, architectures, and development approaches in a pre-industrial context, the program lays the groundwork for future deployment of safe, efficient, and scalable automated rail systems.
About eProsima: Pioneering Middleware for Critical Systems
eProsima is a leading technology company specialized in high‑performance communication middleware for real‑time and safety‑critical systems. The company is the creator and main contributor of Fast DDS, the most widely used open‑source DDS implementation, and Safe DDS, an ISO 26262 ASIL D‑certified middleware designed for safety‑critical applications in automotive, railway, aerospace, defense, and industrial automation. eProsima is also a major contributor to the ROS 2 ecosystem and an active participant in international standardization bodies such as the OMG.
