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Digital twin revolutionized the railway network

The solution speeds up the flow of trains, improves railway safety and shows the way for the rest of Europe.

Text: Gerli Ramler
Photos: Raul Mee

Edelaraudtee is a private railway infrastructure company that operates 224 km of track, 11 stations and 20 stops in Estonia.

"Already 20 years ago, we saw that the railways began to be haunted by a technological repair backlog: the old analogue system was becoming outdated, many components were outdated, their production had been discontinued, and there was no official representation for them in Estonia," says Rain Kaarjas, CEO of Edelaraudtee.

Edelaraudtee set out to solve the challenge of aging technology together with Siemens Osakeyhtiö, Go Track, Instry and Saksa Automaatika. The cooperation created a significant wave of innovation in the Estonian railway infrastructure.

As a result, Edelaraudtee's existing systems have been digitalized and the flexibility, future sustainability and efficiency of the railway network have been improved. Although the level of security was high before, now the system as a whole is fine-tuned and meets modern expectations.

Safety solution SIL3 level approval

The digital twin developed by the system architects of Edelaraudtee and Instry, based on Siemens technology, enables remote testing with all relevant stakeholders, such as the safety assessor. Thanks to this, key personnel no longer need to physically travel to the site, but part of the work can be done remotely.

The new solutions can be used to improve train speed and safety features, interlocking and level crossing monitoring, switch heating, centralized access control and application maintenance. The solution has been approved by an independent safety assessor (ISA) at SIL3 level.

Go Track was responsible for the entire project, and Saksa Automatika was responsible for the delivery and assembly of the cabinets.

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The collaboration between Edelaraudtee, Go Track, Instry, Saksa Automaatika and Siemens resulted in a system in which the entire railway network operates in an integrated and data-driven manner. In the photo, in the front row, Edelaraudtee's system architect Kauri Oras (left) and CEO Rain Kaarjas. In the back row: Ats Alupere, CEO of Saksa Automatikka (left), Ruslan Hamzin, Partner Manager at Siemens, and Aldo Kaljumäe, Sales Manager at Saksa Automaatika.

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Kauri Oras, System Architect at Edelaraudtee.

Local experts play a crucial role

Kauri Oras, System Architect at Edelaraudtee, says that the extensive project began with a simple phone call about ten years ago.

"The original task was seemingly small: to find a solution for digital data transfer to one level crossing using analogue technology. Then Go Track suggested us a solution for managing railway stations based on an industrial logic controller from Siemens. This was the beginning of a rapid and extensive development process that has continued actively to this day and will continue in the future," Oras says.

The decisive factor in choosing a technology partner was the existence of Siemens' local representation and partners, which enables difficult situations to be resolved quickly – with international experts if necessary.

"We are united by a common vision and similar values: we focus on finding solutions and have a good understanding of what is important to the other party and how we can support each other's business," Oras adds.

"Nowadays, we don't do anything until it's pre-tested with a digital twin."
Kauri Oras

A visit to Switzerland gave ideas

The first to be digitized were the Türi railway station and level crossing, followed by Tallinn-Väike and Kiisa. When challenges arose in the developed systems, the significance of Siemens' local presence became concrete.

"If it hadn't been for Siemens' experts in Estonia, we wouldn't have been able to solve these challenges, because we were replacing a very complex technical entity," Oras says.

Edelaraudtee engineers visited the development center of a Siemens customer in Switzerland to see how such systems already work in Europe.

"Our goal was to do the similar implementation in our own environment, but more flexibly. We decided that our experts had to learn how to make them themselves. This is how we started creating our software solution for the Siemens platform to ensure that everything is compliant with European safety standards."

"It is interesting that our small railway station in Võhma is subject to exactly the same requirements as the Berlin Central Railway Station. But if we have the world's best engineers, good ideas, equipment and partners at our disposal, we will find a solution."

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Ats Alupere, CEO of Saksa Automaatika, in the automation room of the Türi railway station.

The digital environment makes work more efficient

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Photo of Türi's control room. On the screens, the traffic control center.

The biggest leap forward was the introduction of a digital twin – a virtual equivalent of a real railway infrastructure that allows processes to be tested before they are deployed.

"In the past, we built physical models to test systems. They were nice to look at, but difficult to update. Now everything is done digitally: tests, simulations, teaching. Fortunately, we started the development at the right time – five years earlier, some products or digital twins could not have been used," says Kauri Oras, one of the creators of the system.

"When the entity moved to a digital environment, our working hours became significantly more efficient. Nowadays, we don't do anything until it's pre-tested with a digital twin."

The end result is a system in which the entire railway network works in an integrated and data-driven way. This can improve track maintenance, increase safety and reduce downtime.

The Edelaraudtee team has created software that can deliver logs directly to the machine technicians' desktops and meet international cybersecurity standards. The team has a system in place that is still being considered in other countries. And the development continues: the next step is to reconcile industrial automation and BIM modelling.

EDELARAUDTEE AS

Founded in Estonia in 1997.

Railway infrastructure company belonging to the Go Group.

Provides railway infrastructure services and traffic management to railway companies and fleet owners.

Manages 223.8 km of railway lines (including Tallinn–Lelle–Pärnu), 11 railway stations and 20 passenger platforms outside the stations.

About 50 employees.

Boldly entering foreign markets

Saksa Automaatika's task was to provide Siemens support for the development project. They were responsible for supplying components, assembling equipment cabinets, and connecting software created by Edelaraudtee and Instry.

"The people at Edelaraudtee came to visit and talked about their scalable idea," recalls Aldo Kaljumäe, Sales Manager at Saksa Automaatika.

"Although I had no idea how the railway worked, it was exciting. Our job was to assemble electrical switchboards station-by-station. It was a big challenge, but also hugely inspiring."

Ruslan Hamzin, Partner Manager for the Baltics at Siemens Corporation, emphasizes that Edelaraudtee's courage to try new technologies sets them apart from many other customers.

"It usually takes years to introduce new technology into the first real projects. Edelaraudtee was immediately willing to give it a try. My task was to act as a contact person between Siemens' experts and the customer. The solution we have chosen has been tested and certified by Go Track, and it can be boldly exported to foreign markets."

Ats Alupere, Managing Director of Saksa Automaatika, recalls that Edelaraudtee started its development project when the country was just starting to talk about Industry 4.0 and many people knew nothing about digital twins.

"This project was revolutionary in Estonia at the time," says Alupere.

"Now we can say that the infrastructure company has a real tool at its disposal that makes the railways safer and more efficient every day."

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Edelaraudtee and its partners have created a safety solution that is SIL3 approved and officially certified by ISA (Independent Safety Assessor).

Estonia is an example for the whole of Europe

Rain Kaarjas says that although not everyone initially believed that Edelaraudtee could develop such a system, the end result is a functional and future-proof railway.

"We have a team with experience spanning from the age of relays to the digital age, and partners with whom we have been able to create something that meets the highest European standards."

"In 2007, Edelaraudtee employed 150 people, but now there are 48 of us, but we run more trains than ever before from the same digital rail traffic control center."

Kaarjas believes that in the long term, the development of the Estonian railway can become an example for the whole of Europe.

"We have made a series of bold decisions that open the door to new technologies. We have brought rolling stock and infrastructure from the traditions of the Soviet era to the present day and introduced modern communication solutions that will also enable the use of self-driving trains in the future. However, an inevitable part of this is cybersecurity and the involvement of a new generation of engineers. These are our challenges and opportunities."

This interview was given on October 22, 2025.