Siemens Mobility has been awarded with a brand-new contract to digitalise Austria’s interlocking technology.
The contract, worth approximately 1.3 billion EUR, was awarded by ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG during InnoTrans 2026, and forms part of a long-term framework agreement with a total volume of 2.6 billion EUR.
Starting with a pilot project during Q4 2030; the agreement forms the basis for a phased, nationwide rollout of digital interlockings (DSTW) throughout Austria, with Siemens Mobility’s Signaling X integrated technology platform set to be utilised for the digital transformation of signalling and control systems.
The software-based, cloud-ready architecture aims to integrate interlockings, the ETCS train control system, and cybersecurity applications in one technological foundation, enabling the necessary conditions for a step-by-step modernisation of the wider ÖBB rail network.
Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility, said:We are proud to partner with ÖBB in shaping the future of Austria’s rail network. At the heart of this transformation is Signaling X, our software-based and cloud-ready technology for the next generation of signalling and control systems. It intelligently moves interlocking logic into centralised data centers, thereby digitalizing rail operations from the ground up.
What we successfully began in 2020 with the pilot project in Achau, we are now bringing this solution or “it” into nationwide application together. By doing so, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG is taking an international pioneering role and creating the foundation for increased capacity, maximum reliability, and a sustainable and more resilient rail operation in Austria.
The framework agreement covers the entirety of the spectrum of modern interlocking technology, including both indoor and outdoor systems. Signaling X utilises state-of-the-art object controllers to ensure the precise control of signals, switches and other critical infrastructure elements.
Supplemented by a full service agreement, the contract is set to a term of at least ten years in a bid to ensure technical support, maintenance, and full system, availability over the 25-year system lifecycle.
Johann Pluy, Member of the Board of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, said:Digital interlocking technology is a key technology for the railway of the future. With this contract award, we are setting the course for the comprehensive digitalization of our signaling systems and creating the foundation for making rail transport in Austria even more efficient, robust, and high-performing.
In doing so, ÖBB is also setting new international standards in digital traffic management.
Implementation of this major project will follow a structured, multi-stage process and, following the planned commissioning of the first pilot project in the fourth quarter of 2030, additional pilot phases will follow to optimally adapt the technology to the entire network. Once this phase is successfully completed, the nationwide rollout will begin with the long-term goal of replacing all existing interlocking systems with new digital iterations.
