Interoperability

A property referring to the ability of diverse systems and organizations to work together (inter-operate). The term is often used in a technical systems engineering sense, or alternatively in a broad sense, taking into account social, political, and organizational factors that impact system-to-system performance. DIRECTIVE 2016/797/EU, Art. 2: 'the ability of a rail system to allow the safe and uninterrupted movement of trains which accomplish the required levels of performance'. UNISIG definition of operational interoperability in European railway area: the ability to enable the international safe running of trains on different European networks without having to stop the train at borders; changing the engine at borders; changing the driver at borders; requiring the train driver to perform any other activity other than the standardised ERTMS operation. More generally, in order to overcome the technical fragmentation of rail networks in Europe, the interoperability directives of the European Union are gradually establishing mandatory Technical Specifications for Interoperability, commonly referred to as TSIs. REGULATION (EU) 2024/1679, Art. 3: The ability, including all the regulatory, technical and operational conditions, of the infrastructure, including digital infrastructure in a transport mode or segment, to allow safe and uninterrupted traffic and information flows which achieve the required levels of performance for that infrastructure mode or segment.