Rails Apart: How Disparity in Software Standards Hinders North American Progress in Metro Systems
Subtitle: Disparity in Rail Software Standards Hinders North American Progress
Introduction:
As a frequent traveler and rail software expert, I recently had the opportunity to compare the metro systems in Paris and Ottawa. The stark contrast between the two cities left me thoroughly impressed with Paris’s cleanliness and efficiency, while Ottawa struggled with reliability and cleanliness. This discrepancy can be attributed, in part, to the differences in rail software standards between North America and Europe. While Europe follows the EN documentation standards, North America relies on the IEEE-1558 and similar standards, resulting in communication and compatibility barriers.