Consistent Digital Data Management in CCS Planning (D3iP)

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The D3iP project acts as an acceleration measure for the rollout of digital interlocking by standardising and digitalising the planning process and speeding it up as much as possible through future end-to-end digital data management. We are utilising this unique opportunity to set up the planning process in a sustainable and forward-looking way and thus provide employees with greater support in the long term.

The objectives of the project can be divided into the following three dimensions:

• automated recording of the existing infrastructure and data processing in the sense of Building Information Modeling (BIM),
• (partial) automation of planning processes and technical support for the specialist review and
• digital transfer of planning results for implementation, commissioning and support of life cycle management.

D3iP thus contributes to uniform, data-based project implementation with standardised data interfaces.

The PlanPro data format is the standard for data exchange. By implementing the data model in software applications, we enable transparency and quality in project management as well as a standardised documentation basis. We simplify the exchange of information and data from the start of the project up to commissioning.

D3iP achieves sustainable acceleration effects through the introduction of consistent digital data management in the CCS planning process. This is achieved through the development of a standardised data model in conjunction with a quality-assuring tool chain and the adaptation of existing processes. The subject areas include the recording of the entire process (consistent/end-to-end), data management and IT. All of these areas are considered holistically in the context of Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Basically, this includes:

• converting the planning process from a paper-based to a digital database by adapting existing processes and procedures,
• digitising the requirements documents of Digitale Schiene Deutschland (DSD) using a digitally standardised procedure,
• the development of tool solutions for the early determination of blocking requirements for underground cable construction, cable laying, DSTW, ETCS equipment with balises, level crossings and test and acceptance runs for ETCS,
• carrying out future acceptance tests using standardised, digital documentation (instead of on-site inspections and manual measurements),
• the creation of central data storage for LST planning data in the PlanPro data format through the development of data/object models and a database solution (including tool solutions and an interface definition for data exchange) across the entire planning process,
• supporting a consistent digital data management in the CCS planning through a "software suite" that includes software tools and tools for creating and processing planning data,
• the creation of consistency and seamless coordination of planning results between digital LST planning and Building Information Modeling (BIM) and
• the active support of real (pilot) projects such as the DSD starter package and the joint "testing" of the various use cases of 3D, 4D and 5D planning, including the processes, tools and formats developed by D3iP.

A consistent digital data management in the CCS planning process has the following advantages:

• creation of optimisation potential, such as the parallelisation of activities and the achievement of time savings within the data exchange (e.g. printing and dispatch time) between the processors,
• achieving acceleration effects in the creation of tasks for planning services,
• early determination of requirements and visualisation for construction areas and closure times through digital transfer of planning data,
• standardised and automated creation of site plans and tables for visualising planning content,
• increased quality and thus acceleration, as all tools exchange data on the basis of a standardised interface, thus avoiding transmission errors and inconsistencies,
• early recognition of correlations, conflicts and opportunities for cross-trade planning through collaborative work, i.e. with the help of intelligent data management and model-based working methods, users receive exactly the information they need at any given time.

"Within five years, we have established consistent digital data management in the CCS planning process (D3iP). By standardising and automating the systems and the planning process, we have achieved acceleration effects for the DSD rollout and can thus implement more projects more efficiently (e.g. shorter duration) and, above all, more value-adding (a consistent conversion/entry into the digital value chain)."

The D3iP project is one of the four acceleration measures* on the successful implementation of the DSD rollout. The aim of the D3iP project is to standardise the planning processes and accelerate them as much as possible through consistent digital data management.

* 1. acceleration through automation of planning | 2. acceleration through standardisation of technology | 3. acceleration and increased safety through optimised technology management | 4. acceleration through innovative testing and approval processes

Current situation: In current practice, the acceptance testing of LST systems is largely based on distance-based measurements relative to reference points on the track. This approach involves a great deal of manual work and is prone to errors:

• Dependence on correct reference points, 
• Propagation of errors over long distances,
• Measurement accuracy dependent on weather and circumstances,
• Late detection of positional errors, often only revealed during acceptance test runs.

Digital planning data and track network data already provide precise, georeferenced information, which has so far been used only to a limited extent in installation and acceptance testing. The sub-project OpAL aims to introduce and sustainably establish a data-centric and georeferenced LST process in order to make planning and implementation more efficient and consistent. The sub-project has been running since 2023.

OpAL transforms the current, predominantly manual acceptance process into a georeferenced, data-driven approach. The central idea is to use planning coordinates directly for installation, surveying and acceptance, and to compare planned and actual states on a coordinate-based basis. This will gradually shift the acceptance process away from time-consuming on-site measurements towards digital and log-based checks.

OpAL is a key focus area within the D3iP initiative – End-to-End Digital Data Management in the Planning Process. Together, these projects contribute to holistically accelerating the planning, testing, commissioning and acceptance of digital control and safety systems.

OpAL pursues the following key objectives:

• To speed up LST acceptance and reduce project lead times, 
• To improve the quality of the systems submitted for acceptance,
• To identify relevant site deviations at an early stage,
• To reduce the workload of acceptance inspectors through automation and improved data foundations,
• Conducting inspections in a resource-efficient manner by reducing the number of acceptance visits and on-site appointments.

The project lays the foundation for end-to-end digital LST planning and acceptance by establishing data-centric and georeferenced processes, making intelligent use of existing technologies, and systematically removing regulatory and technical barriers. The result is significantly more efficient and reliable project management: shorter lead times, reduced effort and risks, and a sustainable improvement in quality – through loss-free data transfers, precise plan-versus-actual comparisons based on geo-coordinates, and a noticeable reduction in the workload of acceptance inspectors through automation.

|1. Introduction and establishment of a data-centric and georeferenced LST process

|2. Optimisation of workflows and interfaces using existing technologies

| 3. Regulatory adjustments and safety verification

| 4. Reduction of barriers to digital LST planning

Optimising acceptance processes brings the following benefits for infrastructure projects:

• Loss-free, data-centric handover between the design, construction and acceptance phases, 
• Coordinate-based comparison of planned versus actual positions of all relevant infrastructure elements,
• Reliable, reproducible and digital documentation,
• A process that has been assessed for security.

Frequently asked questions about the OpAL project:

• Operational planning with MakSi-MUSE: Determine quantities and blocking time requirements and plan ETCS acceptance runs (in German only) | August 2025
• Georeference in CCS – from planning to acceptance | Juni 2025
• Digitisation of existing control and safety technology (in German only) | Dezember 2024
• ETCS planning in the "Knappenrode-Horka electrification" project | April 2024
• Digitalisation and project acceleration as a system solution | February 2024
• Acceleration of LST planning in the digital Stuttgart node (in German only) | November 2023