Formal methods for railway systems: a survey of research and technology transfer projects
Basile Davide, Ter Beek Maurice Henri, Broccia Giovanna, Gnesi Stefania, Mazzanti Franco, Spagnolo Giorgio Oronzo, Bacherini Stefano, Becheri Carlo, Grasso Daniele, Magnani Gianluca, Tempestini Matteo, Zingoni Niccolò, Ferrari Alessio
Formal Methods; Railways; Model-based development
This paper offers a retrospective on collaborative projects that involved Alessandro Fantechi and the authors over the past two decades, from the shared perspective of the Formal Methods and Tools (FMT) lab of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and former collaborators at General Electric (GE) Transportation and Alstom. The focus is on research and technology transfer efforts in the field of formal methods for railway systems, where Alessandro Fantechi’s contributions have been central to the development and application of formal specification, model-based verification, and tool-supported analysis. Joint work in projects such as ASTRail, 4SECURail, and TRACE-IT, as well as in industrial collaborations with Alstom and GE Transportation Systems illustrates the sustained impact of these activities on both academic research and industrial practice. This contribution reflects on the evolution of these efforts, the formal methods adopted, and the outcomes achieved in terms of methodologies, tools, and integration into safety-critical development processes. It also highlights the collaborative environment fostered across institutions and organizations, which has been instrumental in advancing the use of formal methods in the railway domain.
Source: LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, vol. 16470, pp. 31-54
Publisher: Springer
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@inbook{oai:iris.cnr.it:20.500.14243/566481,
title = {Formal methods for railway systems: a survey of research and technology transfer projects},
author = {Basile Davide and Ter Beek Maurice Henri and Broccia Giovanna and Gnesi Stefania and Mazzanti Franco and Spagnolo Giorgio Oronzo and Bacherini Stefano and Becheri Carlo and Grasso Daniele and Magnani Gianluca and Tempestini Matteo and Zingoni Niccolò and Ferrari Alessio},
publisher = {Springer},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-032-12484-5_3},
booktitle = {LECTURE NOTES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, vol. 16470, pp. 31-54},
year = {2026}
}
0000-0002-7196-6609
ADVancEd iNtegraTed evalUation of Railway systEms
ADVancEd iNtegraTed evalUation of Railway systEms
Sustainable Mobility National Research Center
Sustainable Mobility National Research Center