The agreement, worth approximately €215 million, will see the partners update signalling software and hardware under a four-year rolling roadmap, with cybersecurity a stated priority for Belgium’s national rail network.
Siemens Mobility and Infrabel, Belgium’s national railway infrastructure manager, have signed an 11-year framework agreement to modernise and maintain the country’s Operational Control System (OCS) environment, the digital systems used to manage rail traffic across Belgium.
The framework agreement has a total order value of approximately €215 million. Over its term, the partners will ensure the continuous evolution of signalling software and hardware, while preparing Infrabel’s rail operational control centres for the future.
Four-year rolling roadmap guides the partnership
The agreement introduces a governance structure centred on a four-year rolling roadmap. Through an annual alignment process, Infrabel and Siemens Mobility can continuously synchronise strategic priorities with resource allocation. The companies say this will keep the partnership flexible and allow it to respond rapidly to evolving requirements over the 11-year term.
The modernised OCS environment will feature an intuitive user interface intended to improve operational efficiency for control centre operators. This will enable continuous modernisation of mission-critical signalling software and operational hardware, with a next-generation signalling architecture providing enhanced digital resilience.
“Our digital technology thrives to 100% system availability and introduces open interfaces according to the newest standards,” said Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility. “By combining our global digitalisation, software and cybersecurity expertise with strong local teams in Brussels, we are helping Infrabel to ensure that Belgium’s railway remains innovative, secure and operationally resilient for decades to come.”
It is an investment in the future of our railway, but also in Belgium’s industrial and economic ecosystem.”
Cybersecurity standards and local expertise
Cybersecurity is a key pillar of the modernisation. The agreement includes the appointment of a dedicated security officer and a continuing commitment to rail-specific cybersecurity standards such as IEC 62443, alongside ISO 27001, the internationally recognised standard for organisational information security management. The partners say this is intended to protect the rail infrastructure against cyber threats.
The partnership will draw on Siemens Mobility’s local expertise in Belgium, supporting highly skilled employment and helping to further develop the country’s capabilities in digital rail systems, software engineering and cybersecurity.
“This contract goes far beyond software and technology. It is an investment in the future of our railway, but also in Belgium’s industrial and economic ecosystem,” said Benoît Gilson, CEO of Infrabel.
According to the companies, the OCS environment supports the management of one of Europe’s most intensively used rail networks, which handles thousands of passenger and freight services every day. Reliable and secure operations control is essential for maintaining punctuality, increasing capacity and network resilience across Belgium’s rail system, they add.
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