Transport

Transport

Rail and metro systems move millions of people a day on signalling and power systems built to last decades. Logistics hubs move goods on automation that never stops.

RailMetroLogistics automation
Talk to an advisor For product makers

How the process runs

From signal to station

Signalling sets safe routes and keeps trains apart, traction power drives them, stations and tunnels keep passengers safe, and an operations control centre supervises the whole line. Depots and logistics hubs keep fleets and freight moving.

  1. Stage 1: Signalling and train control

    Interlocking sets safe routes, and train protection stops trains that pass signals or overspeed.

    Control systems
    Electronic interlockingCBTC, ETCS or KavachAxle counters
    Challenges12

  2. Stage 2: Traction power

    Substations feed the overhead line or the third rail.

    Control systems
    Traction SCADAProtection relays

  3. Stage 3: Rolling stock

    Trains carry their own network for doors, brakes, propulsion and diagnostics.

    Control systems
    Train control and management (TCMS)Onboard CCTV and passenger information
    Challenge3

  4. Stage 4: Stations and tunnels

    Ventilation, fire systems, escalators and platform doors keep passengers safe.

    Control systems
    Station SCADA and BMSTunnel ventilationPlatform screen doors
    Challenge4

  5. Stage 5: Operations control centre

    The control centre supervises trains, power and stations for the whole line.

    Control systems
    Train supervision (ATS)Central SCADATrain radio
    Challenges23

  6. Stage 6: Depots and logistics

    Depots maintain the fleet, and logistics hubs sort and ship goods.

    Control systems
    Depot systemsWarehouse control and sortation
Across every stage

Attackers rarely go straight for a controller. They travel through these shared systems, so this is where we look first.

Radio and telecom backboneMaintenance laptopsSupplier diagnosticsFare and passenger IT

For product makers

Building systems for rail and logistics?

Signalling, train systems and station equipment are built by specialist suppliers, and railway cybersecurity standards put requirements on them directly.

What makers build
  • Signalling and interlocking
  • Train control and management systems
  • Traction power equipment
  • Platform screen doors and station systems
  • Warehouse and sortation automation
What customers and regulators ask of the product
CLC/TS 50701:2023

Railway cybersecurity built on IEC 62443, with requirements for suppliers and integrators as well as operators.

IEC 62443-4-2 and IEC 62443-4-1

Railway operators ask for certified components and a secure development process.

EU Cyber Resilience Act

Railway products are not excluded: those sold in the EU need CE marking under the CRA from 11 December 2027.

Where product makers start
EU CRA ComplianceGap to conformity assessmentIEC 62443-4-1 SDLC CertificationYour way of working, audit-proofIEC 62443-4-2 CSA CertificationThe features your product is missing

For plant owners

Where it gets hard, and how we tackle it

We start from how your process runs, fix what matters most first, and use what you already own wherever we can.

  1. 01 Signalling and train control

    Safety systems built for isolation

    Interlocking and train protection were engineered as closed systems. Modern signalling adds IP networks and remote diagnostics to them.

    How we tackle it

    We work inside the railway safety case: security requirements per CLC/TS 50701, zones agreed with the signalling supplier, and security changes planned with the safety approval process, not around it.

    Risk Assessment
  2. 01 Signalling and train control05 Operations control centre

    Radio links can be abused

    In August 2023, more than 20 trains in Poland were stopped by unauthorised radio-stop signals. The analogue signal carries no authentication, so no break-in was needed. Source: The Record

    How we tackle it

    We review every wireless link, from train radio to maintenance Wi-Fi, for what an outsider could trigger and how you would detect it.

    Gap Assessment
  3. 03 Rolling stock05 Operations control centre

    Suppliers hold part of the operation

    In October 2022, trains across Denmark stood still for hours after a supplier shut down its servers following an attack. Drivers lost the app they rely on for speed restrictions.

    How we tackle it

    We map operational dependencies on suppliers and plan how to keep running, or stop safely, when one of them fails.

    Incident Response TTX
  4. 04 Stations and tunnels

    Life safety shares the network

    Tunnel ventilation and fire systems often share networks with passenger information and CCTV.

    How we tackle it

    Separate zones for life-safety systems, with only the conduits they need and monitoring on each.

    Cybersecurity Solutions

Where plant owners usually start

Three ways in

01Gap AssessmentRapid maturity review02Cybersecurity SolutionsVendor-agnostic deployment03Incident Response TTXPrepare for the D-day

Rules and standards

What applies in transport

  • IEC 62443International

    Zones, conduits and security levels for stations, depots and logistics automation.

  • CLC/TS 50701:2023Europe (CENELEC)

    Railway cybersecurity: IEC 62443 adapted to railway systems and the railway safety lifecycle.

  • IEC 63452 (forthcoming)International

    The international railway cybersecurity standard, at final draft stage in 2026.

  • NIS2European Union

    Covers railway infrastructure managers and railway undertakings. Metro coverage depends on national rules.

  • CERT-In Directions, 2022India

    Cyber incidents must be reported to CERT-In within 6 hours.

Talk to RelyBlue

Operating in transport?

An honest conversation about your OT environment. No sales pressure, no fear tactics.

  • You talk to a senior advisor, never a salesperson