But acceleration creates a new challenge: understanding and control.

When systems are generated rapidly, whether by humans or AI, the limiting factor is no longer production capability. It is the ability to ensure that what has been built is correct, aligned with intent, and robust under all relevant conditions.

This is not only a safety issue. It is a systems engineering issue.

The real bottleneck: Clarity of intent

Many engineering failures do not originate in code. They originate in ambiguity:

• Requirements that are open to interpretation
• Assumptions that are not made explicit
• Incomplete descriptions of system behavior

AI amplifies this problem. It can generate implementations quickly, but it cannot resolve intent ambiguities. If the requirement is unclear, the generated result will faithfully encode that uncertainty.

The solution is not slower development. It is stronger specification.

Precise, structured, machine-verifiable specifications create a stable foundation for accelerated engineering. They turn intent into something analyzable, testable, and enforceable.

Executable models as a tool for understanding

One of the most powerful shifts in modern engineering is the transformation of specifications into executable models.

When specifications are expressed in a formal, structured way, they can be transformed into digital representations of system behavior, executable models that simulate how the system should act.

This fundamentally changes the early phases of development.

Instead of validating understanding through review alone, teams can:

• Execute scenarios against the intended behavior
• Detect inconsistencies before implementation
• Prototype system logic before committing to architecture
• Align stakeholders around observable behavior

Executable models are not merely simulation tools. They are instruments for shared understanding. They reduce ambiguity at the source.

Conformance and validation in an automated world

As automation increases, so must verification rigor.
Whether logic is handwritten, configured, or AI-generated, it must conform to the original intent. Formalized specifications allow automated conformance checking between:

• Requirements
• Design
• Implementations

This creates a closed loop in which generated artifacts can be systematically validated against defined behavior.

Verification and validation no longer depend solely on late-phase testing. They become continuous activities embedded in the development process.

The role of formal proof

Testing remains essential. But testing is inherently selective. It demonstrates that a system behaves correctly in tested scenarios, not that it behaves correctly in all scenarios.

Formal verification adds a fundamentally different dimension. Proving that defined properties always hold provides exhaustive logical coverage of the specified behavior.

This has two major effects:

• It reduces reliance on extensive test campaigns for certain defect classes.
• It strengthens the evidence base for safety, reliability, and correctness claims.

Formal proof does not replace engineering judgments. It augments it with mathematical certainty where it matters most.

In complex systems, particularly those developed with AI assistance, this level of rigor becomes a strategic advantage.

Engineering for both speed and confidence

The perceived tension between speed and rigor is a false dichotomy.

Strong specifications enable acceleration. Executable models enable early validation. Automated conformance checking maintains alignment. Formal proofs provide deep assurance. Together, they create a development process that is both faster and more controlled.

Prover’s methods support this paradigm by:

• Transforming specifications into executable system models
• Enabling early validation and prototyping
• Providing automated conformance checking
• Supporting formal verification to strengthen evidence and reduce excessive testing

The result is not only improved safety. It is improved understanding, improved predictability, and improved control over increasingly complex systems.

In the age of AI-driven engineering, the competitive edge will not belong to those who generate the most artifacts but to those who can demonstrate, with clarity and rigor, that their systems behave as intended.

Acceleration is inevitable. Assurance must be engineered.

Inlägget Engineering in the age of AI and executable specifications dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

Introduction

Why legacy signaling systems must evolve – and how to do it without disruption

As railway infrastructure ages across Europe, operators face a critical inflection point. Relay-based signaling systems, some nearly a century old, continue to direct train movements faithfully across thousands of kilometers of track. Yet beneath this reliability lies a growing challenge: the expertise to maintain these systems and access to spare parts needed to repair them.

This guide offers a practical roadmap for infrastructure managers to navigate the increasingly urgent transition from legacy signaling systems to modern, open solutions based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. You’ll discover how digital twins, formal methods, and structured migration processes can transform this complex challenge into a strategic opportunity that will enhance safety, reduce long-term costs, and the possibility to break free from vendor lock-in without disrupting your operations.

Whether you’re planning a complete system overhaul or taking incremental steps toward modernization, this guide provides the framework and real-world examples needed to secure your railway’s signaling future in an increasingly digital world.

The need for migrating old signaling systems to modern open solutions based on COTS hardware

Relay-based signaling systems have long been the backbone of railway operations. While experts predict these systems will remain in use far beyond 2030, a growing challenge is emerging: relay expertise and spare parts are rapidly disappearing. Many organizations face a critical knowledge gap, with limited documentation and resources. This is one of the main drivers for the need to start planning a migration project. Without action, the risk of losing essential know-how increases over time.

Fill out the form to read the full guide.

Inlägget How to successfully migrate existing interlocking systems to an open signaling solution dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

Prover is committed to engineering a safer world by enabling the railway industry to modernize confidently. Building on our expertise in Signaling Design Automation (SDA) and formal methods, we proudly introduce our solution: Relay Signaling Migration – a structured approach for transitioning relay-based interlocking systems to modern platforms based on open signaling.

The urgent need for migration

As legacy systems near the end of their lifecycle, reliable migration is more critical than ever. Relay-based interlocking systems have supported railway operations for decades, but maintaining them presents increasing challenges:

• Loss of expertise: The industry faces a growing shortage of relay specialists
• Parts scarcity: Essential components are becoming harder to source
• Documentation gaps: Critical system knowledge is often incomplete or missing
• Rising maintenance costs: Aging systems require more frequent intervention
• Compatibility limitations: Integration with modern technologies is restricted
• Safety concerns: Meeting current standards becomes increasingly difficult

Without the expertise of those who built these systems, migrating to a modern solution is no longer an option; it’s a necessity.

Why migration efforts often stall

Despite the clear need, many organizations struggle to begin the transition due to the following:

1. Insufficient legacy system documentation
2. Complex compliance requirements
3. Perceived migration complexity
4. Operational disruption concerns

The Prover solution: A three-step approach

Relay Signaling Migration eliminates these roadblocks by providing a systematic approach rooted in automation and formal verification:

Step 1: Forward engineering of existing systems

• Capture system logic through diagram analysis
• Create formal specifications of generic functionality
• Document critical knowledge in structured formats

Step 2: Create digital twins and apply changes

• Replicate legacy systems in digital environments
• Test modifications safely before deployment
• Validate changes without operational impact

Step 3: Transfer logic to an open platform

• Generate or port logic to modern systems
• Automate verification and validation
• Ensure compliance with current safety standards

Key technologies enabling successful migration

Our solution leverages powerful tools that serve as the Signaling Design Automation platform developed specifically for these challenges:

• Prover Extractor: Our advanced tool reads and analyzes circuit diagrams, creating accurate digital twins of existing relay-based systems
• Prover Studio: A specialized Integrated Development Environment (IDE) used for modeling and formal specification creation. 
• Prover iLock is the cornerstone of specific application (SA) development. It provides a robust platform for configuration, simulation, and formal verification. This tool supports data preparation, code generation, and scenario-based simulation, ensuring that requirements are met with precision. 
• Prover Certifier: Certified for CENELEC EN 50128 and EN 50716 SIL 4 compliance, Prover Certifier automates the creation of safety evidence, ensuring full regulatory adherence. It validates safety properties using formal methods, providing comprehensive, traceable safety documentation essential for railway applications.

The long-term benefits of modern signaling

Migrating to an open signaling system yields numerous advantages:

• Operational Efficiency: Real-time diagnostics and predictive maintenance reduce delays and manual labor
• Scalability & Adaptability: Open platforms support evolving operational needs and future infrastructure growth
• Compliance & Safety: Modern systems meet today’s standards, supporting secure and regulated operations
• Cost Control: A phased, verified approach ensures project timelines and budgets stay on track

Your partner for railway transformation

The Prover solution Relay Signaling Migration is your blueprint for a controlled, secure, and future-proof transformation of relay-based interlocking systems. It brings together Prover’s deep expertise in formal verification and SDA to help railway operators meet modernization goals without compromising on safety, cost, or performance.

Whether you’re looking to preserve decades of system knowledge, reduce reliance on obsolete technology, or take the first step toward an open signaling future, Prover is ready to lead the way.

Contact Prover today to begin your structured migration journey.

Inlägget Relay Signaling Migration: The structured solution for railway signaling modernization dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

ONDEMAND WEBINAR

mats.boman

Recorded on April 9, 2025

Overcoming challenges with automation & digital twins

Interlocking systems based on relays and mechanics have reliably powered railway operations for decades, but with expertise disappearing and spare parts becoming scarce, the urgency to modernize is growing. While these systems may remain in use far beyond 2030, the risk of operational disruptions and compatibility challenges is increasing. How can rail operators ensure a smooth and secure transition to modern signaling solutions?

This webinar explores how Signaling Design Automation, digital twins, and formal methods can simplify the migration process in controlled steps. Our experts explain the step-by-step approach to transitioning from relay-based systems to an Open Signaling solution that minimizes risks, reduces costs, and ensures compliance.

Agenda:

• Common barriers preventing migration and how to overcome them

• Recommendation for how to take your first steps toward migration

• How to do a migration in controlled steps enabling an Open Signaling solution

• Examples of successful migration projects

• Q&A with the experts

Yes please, send me the recording!

Speakers

Mats Boman
VP Business Development at Prover

Benjamin Blanc
Solutions Manager at Prover

Inlägget How to successfully migrate existing interlocking systems to an Open Signaling solution dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

The current solutions for railway signaling

The backbone of safe and efficient railway operations lies in its signaling systems. Railway signaling systems control train movements, ensuring they travel safely and navigate the rail network without incidents. As trains are a vital component of global infrastructure—both for cargo transport and public transit—the reliance on advanced signaling systems to manage this signaling challenge is crucial.

The existing systems are based on vendor-specific hardware and software solutions that depend on each other from leading vendors.

The challenges with vendor-specific solutions are:

• They are not interoperable with other systems
• Drives cost for system integration, upgrades, and maintenance
• It does not give control to the buyer but rather to the vendor
• Will lock in the customer with one vendor

The transformation into open and interoperable solutions via COTS

The market wants to move towards digital and interoperable solutions. The use of COTS software and hardware is an enabler of this. An example of this trend is the initiative driven by Indra and Amey, which was announced in November 2023.  

The Prover solution’s foundation is to enable the separation of software and hardware. This is done by providing a software solution for developing Digital Twins of the complete Rail Control System and automating all steps from tendering, development, safety verification, and maintenance. 

The software solution runs on any hardware platform, including COTS platforms like:

• HIMA
• Schneider
• Pilz
• …

This leads to significant benefits like:

• Lower costs and risks using digital twins
• Reusability with open and standardized PLC languages, specifications, and interfaces
• Customers will gain more control of the solution
• Maintainability and interoperability over the life cycle

Signaling projects can be based on developing Digital Twins of the solution even before the tender phase. These digital twins will become the basis for the tender process, software development, testing, safety verification, and maintenance.

Implementation of open signaling solutions with COTS

There are two scenarios:

• The need to migrate existing brownfield solutions
• The need to effectively develop new greenfield solutions for new rail line projects

The process is divided into three steps:

1. Create a digital twin of the system
2. Define and specify the functionality of the new system based on formal methods
3. Generate code for the specific COTS hardware platform and verify safety

You can find more information here about interoperable COTS-based solutions and how to implement them for railway signaling. 

Inlägget The railway industry is transforming into more interoperable and vendor-independent solutions dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

RECORDED WEBINAR

mats.boman

Recorded on May 30, 2024

Join us as we explore the transformative potential of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) PLC solutions in the railway signaling market. This webinar, led by Prover’s experts Mats Boman and Benjamin Blanc, explains how COTS is not just a trend, but a strategic shift towards standardization and enhanced system interoperability. Discover how Prover contributes to this quest for independence, compatibility, and efficiency with COTS technologies. Learn about how to migrate existing interlocking systems.

Agenda:

• Discover how COTS drives standardization and compatibility

• Strategies for migrating current interlocking systems

• Assess COTS compatibility with your future system strategies

• Take practical steps toward a COTS-based strategy

• Interactive Q&A: Insights from Prover Experts

Yes please, send me the recording!

Hosts

Benjamin Blanc
Solutions Manager, Prover

Mats Boman
VP Business Development, Prover

Inlägget Create a technology-independent COTS solution for railway signaling dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

How safe and efficient are your rail control systems? Let’s find out!

Inlägget If the railway was invented today, how would we manage our systems? dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

How safe and efficient are your rail control systems? Let’s find out!

Inlägget What’s preventing us from overcoming complexity in rail signaling? dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

Modernization of rail control systems is critical for transportation. However, delays in delivery, acceptance, and safety approvals are often major bottlenecks that have a highly negative impact on costs and schedules.

There is an obvious need to simplify the development and verification processes by implementing solutions that supply the industry with the tools and processes needed to meet the requirements and expectations of the end customers.

We have found that the recipe for a successful rail control project is threefold: focus on the requirement specifications, automate design and development, and apply formal and automated methods to prove that requirements are fulfilled.

This recipe generates high-quality systems with guaranteed safety, but also cuts your project time and costs in half. Digitalization paves the way for increased competition, reduced life cycle costs, and ultimately, a better customer experience with increased traffic capacity and fewer delays.

If you share our experience, let’s book a meeting at Innotrans! Please use the link below.

Book a meeting

Inlägget Let’s meet at Innotrans and discuss the challenges faced in rail control projects dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.

RECORDED WEBINAR

mats.boman

How to get on top of your signaling projects using a digital twin and signaling design automation

Rail control systems are becoming more complex with increased demands for harmonization and overall integration. The rail system is a shared responsibility in the industry, with an underlying conflict between traditional subsystem management and the need to achieve effects on higher system-level by modernization (digitalization).

Upgrades and renewal of rail control systems often become overly complicated when the new systems are integrated with existing subsystems. Unknown dependencies are discovered late, resulting in a loss of control.

The complexity in rail signaling is shown in many ways with the continuous delays and overdraft in budgets, e.g. ERTMS and cancellations of metro signaling contracts.

It has been underestimated from all positions and by all actors, but today we sense a recognition of the need for new approaches to meet these challenges.

Agenda:

• How to manage the complexity in rail control systems

• Conflicts between traditional and new methods

• Digital twin as a way to get in control of your systems

• Signaling design automation supporting transition to new system

• The business case for implementing a controlled process

Yes please, send me the recording!

Hosts

Mats Boman
VP Business Development, Prover

Inlägget Get in control of your rail control system dök först upp på Prover - Engineering a Safer World.