This blog is written by Henrik Brändle, Chair of the new Railways SIG.
The ELISA (Enabling Linux in Safety Applications) Project continues to advance the use of Linux in safety-critical and regulated systems. By bridging the gap between the flexibility of Linux and the demands of safety-critical certification, the ELISA community is ensuring that the future of autonomous and connected technology is built on a foundation of trust.
Dedicated groups like Automotive, Aerospace, Safety Architecture and the Space Grade Linux Special Interest Group (SIG) have been the engine of ELISA’s progress.
All Aboard: The Railways SIG
Safety-critical systems span more than just the roads for automotives and airplanes. In fact, rail is the third-most used means of transport [1, fig. 21]. Today, we are excited to announce the launch of the Railways SIG.
This new initiative marks a significant milestone as we bring ELISA’s methodology to the rail industry. The Railways SIG will focus on aligning Linux development with standards, addressing everything from signaling and control systems to automated train operations. It aims to inform all railway stakeholders about the extensive capabilities that open source already offers in the safety domain. At the same time, it represents their specific needs towards the ELISA community, to ensure that future developments continue to benefit railway systems worldwide.
History of Open Source and Railways
Historically, the railway industry viewed open source with skepticism, believing that public code and community governance couldn’t meet the demands of safety certification. However, in recent years, multiple initiatives have started to challenge this belief by proving that open source projects can achieve high-level functional safety certification while maintaining transparency and collaboration [2][3].
The continuous rise in expected features will lead to an explosion in resulting software complexity. Since the available development resources are not keeping up with the demands, the railway industry willhave to rely on collaboration across sectors to keep delivering software at the expected quality and pace.
The Vision
The idea for a dedicated Railway SIG was introduced at FOSDEM 2025, where the Railways and Open Transport track served as a launchpad for the vision. Throughout the following year, a diverse community of stakeholders shared their points of view, aligned their vision and collaborated on a path towards a sustainable SIG.
Following a reconfirmation of interest at FOSDEM 2026, a formal SIG application was submitted in March. As a new group within the ELISA Project umbrella, the Railways SIG will help shape these efforts by bringing forward the specific requirements, development processes, and standards of our industry. This ensures the rail sector benefits from the significant work taking place globally.
Join us!
The first Railways SIG will take place on Tuesday, May 19. Participants can register for the meeting by visiting the ELISA Project public meeting calendar here. Subscribe to the mailing list or learn more information here. We invite all interested parties to join us in shaping the future of safety-critical Linux for railway infrastructure.
If you are interested in the ELISA Project, we invite you to join one of the ELISA working groups and contribute to advancing safety practices in open source together.
To keep up to date about the project, subscribe to the quarterly newsletter or connect with us on ELISA Project LinkedIn or the ELISA Discord Channel to talk with community and TSC members.
Sources:
[1] [TUMI Transport Outlook 1.5°C (2021)](https://www.transformative-mobility.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TUMI-Transport-Outlook-SoI1tB.pdf)
[2][Ferrocene: This is Rust for critical systems](https://ferrocene.dev/)
[3][Zephyr Safety Overview] (https://docs.zephyrproject.org/latest/safety/safety_overview.html)