| Data Interfaces |
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A train timetable goes through many different planning stages over its long period of development. The process starts with a draft long-range service plan, which is constantly refined until it is used to operate the trains and then, finally, to analyze system performance. Finding the timetable that best balances the railway’s operational and economic needs requires much iteration.
Viriato’s versatility enables it to support timetable planners at all stages of the development process. Nevertheless data will almost certainly need to be exchanged with other applications at some point in the process, and used either in parallel or sequentially. A central element in the data exchange process is insuring efficient data flow without wasteful and error-prone re-collection of data. The challenge consists of linking the different applications with one another over intelligent and standardized interfaces. The RailML initiative was created to improve the data exchange process between railway information technology applications. SMA und Partner AG was a founding member of the RailML initiative and continues to actively participate in RailML development. RailML’s goal is to better link different applications by creating defined interfaces between diverse service planning and rail operations IT applications and to simplify information exchange by the systematization and definition of standardized XML-based schemes for railway-specific data. Open interfaces
Proprietary interfaces
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