How Virtual Twin Technology Drives Systems-Level Rail Network Strategy

Why Are Modern Railways Evaluated as a System of Systems Rather Than Isolated Assets?

Railway performance is rarely constrained by a single decision. Capacity is not determined solely by infrastructure. Fleet availability is not determined solely by maintenance. Service reliability is not determined solely by operations planning.

Instead, railways operate as interconnected systems where infrastructure capacity, rolling stock design, manufacturing readiness, maintenance execution and operational planning continuously influence one another.

Yet most organizations still make decisions within functional silos.

Infrastructure managers focus on capacity. Operators focus on service delivery. OEMs focus on engineering. Maintenance organizations focus on asset availability. Each function is optimized independently, while the railway itself performs as a single system.

At InnoTrans 2026, Dassault Systèmes will demonstrate how virtual twin experiences can help stakeholders better understand, simulate and optimize these interdependencies across the rail lifecycle.

How Do Integrated Virtual Twins Outperform Legacy Point Solutions in Rail Planning?

Many rail technology providers solve a specific problem:

• Timetabling
• Crew scheduling
• Fleet management
• Engineering simulation
• Manufacturing execution
• Asset maintenance

These solutions are valuable, but they typically address only one layer of the railway.

Dassault Systèmes takes a different approach.

Powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we support rail stakeholders across four critical domains:

1. Infrastructure
2. Rolling Stock Engineering
3. Manufacturing & Maintenance
4. Service Delivery Operations

At InnoTrans, visitors will be able to explore each of these domains through dedicated demonstration pods.

Pod 1: Territory & Infrastructure Twin

How do you evaluate infrastructure decisions before committing capital?

Infrastructure investments are among the most expensive and longest-lived decisions in the rail industry.

Whether building new corridors, upgrading signaling systems, introducing new services or planning maintenance possessions, the challenge is always the same:

How will this decision impact the performance of the wider network?

At our Infrastructure Twin pod, visitors will explore how virtual representations of rail networks can be used to:

• Simulate corridor performance
• Evaluate alternative scenarios
• Assess capacity impacts
• Understand network-wide consequences before implementation
• Support investment and planning decisions

For infrastructure managers, transport authorities and project leaders, the ability to evaluate system behavior before physical implementation can significantly reduce project risk.

Pod 2: Rolling Stock & System Engineering Twin

How do you validate increasingly complex rail systems before they enter service?

Modern trains are becoming cyber-physical systems.

Electrification, automation, software-defined architectures, energy management systems, passenger experience requirements and regulatory compliance all increase engineering complexity.

Traditional physical testing alone is no longer sufficient.

At this pod, visitors will see how Model-Based Systems Engineering, simulation and virtual validation can support:

• Requirements traceability
• System architecture development
• Vehicle dynamics analysis
• Multi-physics simulation
• Virtual validation
• Homologation readiness

For OEMs, engineering organizations and certification teams, the objective is straightforward:

Identify issues virtually before they become expensive physical problems.

Pod 3: Manufacturing & Maintenance Execution Twin

How do you ensure assets are built correctly and maintained efficiently?

A train’s lifecycle cost is heavily influenced by manufacturing quality and maintenance effectiveness.

Small inefficiencies introduced during industrialization can remain embedded for decades.

At this pod, visitors will discover how virtual and operational technologies can support:

Industrialization

• Virtual build validation
• Process planning
• Workstation design
• Manufacturing process optimization

Production Execution

• Manufacturing operations management
• Traceability
• Quality control
• Shopfloor visibility

Maintenance Execution

• Depot process standardization
• Digital work instructions
• Technician guidance
• Maintenance workflow optimization

The focus is not simply on executing tasks.

It is on creating repeatable, traceable and scalable processes across factories and depots.

Pod 4: Service Delivery Operations Twin

How do you synchronize network, fleet, crew and operational decisions?

Rail service delivery remains one of the most complex planning challenges in transportation.

A timetable change impacts fleet allocation.

Fleet allocation impacts maintenance windows.

Maintenance impacts service availability.

Disruptions impact everything.

The challenge is not optimization within a single domain.

The challenge is coordination across domains.

At this pod, visitors will explore integrated rail planning and optimization capabilities for:

• Service planning
• Timetabling
• Fleet planning
• Rolling stock allocation
• Crew planning
• Rostering
• Disruption management
• Recovery planning

For passenger and freight operators, the objective is to improve service reliability while maximizing utilization of scarce resources.

What Is the Virtual Rail Universe and How Does It Unify the Rail Ecosystem?

At the center of the booth is the Virtual Rail Universe.

This is not another demo.

It is the connective tissue between the four domains.

The Virtual Rail Universe demonstrates how infrastructure, rolling stock, manufacturing, maintenance and operations can be viewed as part of a broader railway ecosystem.

The goal is not to suggest that a single organization manages all these functions.

Most do not.

The goal is to demonstrate that decisions made in one domain inevitably affect outcomes in another.

Rail performs as a system, even when organizations are structured as silos.

Understanding those interdependencies is becoming increasingly important as railways face growing pressure to improve capacity, resilience, sustainability and service quality.

Join Dassault Systèmes at InnoTrans 2026 to Experience the Future of Digital Rail

Whether you are…

• An infrastructure manager evaluating future investments
• A rolling stock OEM accelerating engineering programs
• A manufacturer seeking industrial efficiency
• A maintenance leader improving asset availability
• A rail operator optimizing service delivery

…you will find demonstrations grounded in real rail challenges and real rail decisions.

Visit Dassault Systèmes at Hall 2.1, Booth 855 to explore how Virtual Twin experiences are helping the rail industry move from isolated optimization toward system-level understanding and decision-making. You can book a meeting with us here: https://myevents.3ds.com/innotrans-2026

Because the future of rail will not be determined by individual assets. It will be determined by how effectively the entire system performs.

DELMIA, a Dassault Systèmes brand, connects the virtual and real worlds to drive innovation and sustainability. Powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, our end-to-end solutions integrate virtual twins, industrial AI and augmented reality to optimize manufacturing, supply chains and workforces. We empower businesses to reduce waste and achieve sustainable, customer-focused operations, building a more resilient future.