Biswajyoti Shome, Industry Process Consultant Senior Manager, Dassault Systèmes
Railways worldwide are increasingly leveraging digital technologies to drive sustainability throughout their value chains. Central to this effort are decarbonization initiatives that are gaining momentum as operators invest in renewable energy and more efficient sources of power. Digitalization, in particular, is proving to be a key enabler, with technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and virtual twins playing a pivotal role. These technologies not only enhance rail operations but also improve comfort, security, and environmental sustainability.
Virtual twins are helping to shape the future of rail, enabling seamless collaboration through integrated workflow modeling and optimization of people, processes, and technology. Whether used in system design, rolling stock manufacturing, or infrastructure management, virtual twins make it possible to incorporate sustainability into every step of the process. This includes optimizing transport services, automating maintenance, and ensuring asset management is both efficient and sustainable.
Dassault Systèmes supports clients across the rail value chain, from infrastructure management to rolling stock, signaling, freight and passenger operations, and service maintenance, using virtual twins to drive sustainability.
Model-based design ensures end-to-end digital connectivity
Model-based design allows Dassault Systèmes to connect infrastructure, rolling stock, and signaling systems, ensuring operational connectivity across various systems. Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) also validates complex subsystems, supporting interoperability among the systems and predicting changes early using virtual twins.
Together, MBSE and virtual twins enable simulations that drive the development of reliable and resilient railway systems. By linking system design with infrastructure design, these technologies foster innovation in product development and engineering.
Key benefits of virtual twins include multi-BIM support, data-centric collaboration, and a unified source of truth. This allows for concurrent design and knowledge-driven automation, improving efficiency and sustainability in the construction and design of railway infrastructure.
These advancements benefit not only large infrastructure firms such as EPC companies, design and construction specialists, and consultants, but also those involved in the operational and maintenance phases. By optimizing workflows and supporting real-time collaboration, Dassault Systèmes’ 3D-based lean collaboration tools ensure teams can move from paper-based processes to digital operations and collaborate in real time, enhancing sustainability across the network.
Ensuring sustainability in asset management with virtual twins
Focusing on assets, lifecycle assessment (LCA) of rail infrastructure is key to sustainability. The primary goals of LCA are reducing energy consumption and lowering carbon emissions. Achieving sustainability involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions early in asset design, balancing cost efficiency and environmental impact, and finding sustainable alternatives.
These processes maximize resource use, minimize waste throughout the asset lifecycle, and support compliance with industry regulations. LCA can be applied to rolling stock, signaling systems, and other processes across the rail industry.
A robust virtual twin platform is essential for real-time monitoring and assessment of rail infrastructure. From network planning to asset maintenance and real-time monitoring, virtual twins integrate data from various sources to provide insights and enable quick decision-making. Additionally, they reduce downtime and operational costs.
Dassault Systèmes uses virtual twins to help OEMs, component suppliers, and licensed maintenance providers optimize production. Key steps include managing component configurations, simulating designs to reduce material waste, selecting optimal materials, and defining processes with retrofit potential.
As decarbonization efforts grow, retrofitting is more important than ever. Virtual twins streamline production processes across the rail network, extending the life of rolling stock and improving efficiency. By simulating and validating processes, virtual twins enable smoother operations and higher productivity.
Driving sustainability in rail service delivery
For rail service delivery, including both freight and passenger operations, Dassault Systèmes offers four key enablers for AI-based planning and optimization:
- Service and network planning
- Fleet planning
- Terminal and yard extension planning
- Queue planning
The integrated freight rail solution connects terminal and yard management, improving service reliability by matching customer demand with available resources and optimizing service configurations. It also enhances operational efficiency by coordinating arrivals and departures, while optimizing the use of rolling stock and crew based on service requirements.
This solution further optimizes fleet planning and scheduling, improving resource utilization and reducing idle times. It helps control costs by maximizing train utilization and operational flexibility, while managing conflicting demands from infrastructure managers and terminal operators. Additionally, it delivers reliable, traceable, and affordable services.
The solution enables profitable planning decisions while balancing manpower requirements. It also helps manage daily and seasonal disruptions effectively, all while meeting sustainability objectives.
For passenger operations, rail operators must ensure real-time dispatch and disruption management, with full visibility into resources and planning decisions. An integrated planning solution provides decision support for efficient planning, scheduling, and execution of rail services.
This integrated solution enhances demand forecasting, allowing operators to accurately predict passenger demand and ensure capacity meets requirements. It also supports disruption management and efficient day-of-operations planning to maintain service quality and improve resource allocation. Additionally, it helps operators comply with regulatory standards while optimizing the use of trains and personnel.
With connected end-to-end operations, rail operators can ensure the profitability of both freight and passenger services while maintaining customer satisfaction. By improving customer service and on-time delivery, the integrated planning solution enhances overall operational effectiveness, reduces costs, and fosters a culture of sustainability.
Ensuring sustainable operations in maintenance
To maximize rolling stock availability, rail operators must streamline maintenance planning and scheduling by integrating it with the operational timetable. They are also required to test and validate new maintenance strategies in a virtual environment before implementation.
Dassault Systèmes focuses on three key areas related to asset management and maintenance:
- Maintenance planning and scheduling
- Maintenance engineering
- 360-degree view of maintenance (maintenance intelligence)
Maintenance planning and scheduling is integrated with the operational timetable, allowing operators to simulate and test strategies in a virtual environment before deployment. This reduces downtime and minimizes disruptions, ensuring maximum uptime for rolling stock while embedding sustainability into maintenance operations.
Maintenance engineering ensures digital continuity from engineering to execution by applying MRO and ILS management standards. It also supports parts tracking and supply, ensuring that maintenance standards are enforced. The virtual twin-based solution provides a single platform for managing rolling stock from design to maintenance engineering.
The 360-degree view, powered by maintenance intelligence, gives operators comprehensive insight into fleet availability. Virtual twin technology aggregates data from multiple sources, providing real-time insights to support decision-making and maintenance strategy adjustments. This data-driven approach ensures efficient decision-making during maintenance execution.
Embedding sustainability: Where to start?
How can rail operators ensure a sustainable transformation journey using virtual twins?
The first step is to assess current processes to identify areas for improvement. By modeling and simulating rail operations, operators can reduce waste and energy consumption while finding optimal alternatives. Virtual twins aid in designing new sustainable infrastructure and retrofitting existing facilities to improve environmental performance and energy efficiency. These tools also support integrated planning for capacity, services, crew, and terminal operations, helping to maximize resource utilization and minimize both energy consumption and emissions.
Finally, it is crucial to integrate virtual twins into existing systems and train the workforce in their use to ensure sustainability goals are fully realized.