TAF/TAP-TSI: The digital development leap for european railway companies
Published December 17, 2025
- Energy & Utilities
- Strategy & Transformation
Key takeaways
- TAF/TAP-TSI is more than just a technical regulation – it represents a profound transformation in planning, path allocation, operations, and communication between Railway Undertakings (RUs) and Infrastructure Managers (IMs), as well as among different RUs throughout the entire operational process chain.
- Successful implementation requires strategic change management – without clear governance and active employee involvement, there is a risk of fragmented system landscapes and internal resistance.
- Embrace digitalization as an opportunity – those who not only implement TAF/TAP-TSI but also integrate it strategically can achieve long-term efficiency gains and competitive advantages for both their company and the rail industry as a whole.
This page has been automatically translated from German to improve accessibility. If anything seems unclear, we recommend checking the original version.
TAF/TAP-TSI as a catalyst for digital transformation in the european railway sector
The European railway industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. With the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) (opens in a new tab) in the field of telematics applications — TAF TSI for freight transport and TAP TSI for passenger transport — the European Union has established binding standards that will profoundly reshape the digital exchange of data between Railway Undertakings (RUs) and Infrastructure Managers (IMs), as well as communication among different RUs across the entire operational process chain. These standards also apply to associated non-EU countries, such as Switzerland.
According to Wavestone, this regulator-driven transformation represents not only a significant technical challenge but also a unique strategic opportunity for railway companies: it enables them to sustainably enhance their digital performance and efficiency while strengthening their competitive position in the European transport market. Implementing TAF/TAP-TSI is therefore not merely a regulatory obligation, but also a key enabler for the successful and future-oriented development of the industry.
Background: What is TAF/TAP-TSI?
In short, TAF/TAP-TSI stands for “Telematics Applications for Freight and Passenger Services – Technical Specifications for Interoperability.”
It defines a common digital language for the European railway system. Specifically, the specification governs how information about train paths, trains, timetables, disruptions, and other operational aspects is exchanged between RUs and IMs — digitally, in a standardized format, and across borders.
The EU pursues several key goals with this initiative:
- Increasing the competitiveness of rail transport compared to other modes of transport
- Promoting digitalization within the railway sector
- Simplifying cross-border service planning and timetable coordination
- Improving operational execution through real-time data and standardized notifications
Advantages: Efficiency, transparency, and interoperability with TAF/TAP-TSI
Unified communication and data quality
A major advantage of TAF/TAP-TSI lies in the consistent standardization of communication between all stakeholders in European rail transport. Standardized message formats, data schemas, identifiers, and digital interfaces ensure that information on train paths, trains, schedules, and disruptions can be exchanged seamlessly, in real time, and with high data quality — ideally without any media breaks. This creates the foundation for transparent, traceable, and reliable operational communication across all stages of the value chain, enabling efficient and error-minimized processes in international railway operations.
For Railway Undertakings (RUs), this means in practice:
- Reduction of manual interfaces
- Minimization of transmission and mapping errors
- Increased transparency in communication with Infrastructure Managers and other RUs
Experts estimate that by eliminating manual input in operations management and improving data quality, the error rate in international train operations can be reduced by up to 30%.
Cross-border interoperability
The harmonization of processes and data formats through TAF/TAP-TSI paves the way for seamless cross-border traffic planning, timetable design, and operations — free from technical or organizational barriers. As a result, railway companies benefit from significantly simplified coordination with international partners and infrastructure managers.
In particular, for Railway Undertakings (RUs) active in international operations, TAF/TAP-TSI represents a crucial milestone: it enables the creation of an integrated European rail market and the delivery of a consistent, attractive offering for both customers and partners.
Success story: A major European freight operator, after fully implementing TAF, was able to reduce the average time required for cross-border path allocation by 48 hours and increase punctuality on critical corridors by 2 percentage points.
Automation and process optimization
The introduction of new identifiers such as Company Code, TrainID, and PathID enables precise and unambiguous identification of trains and paths, offering significant advantages especially for cross-border and multi-day operations. Combined with modern digital interfaces, this allows for the automation of numerous processes along the entire value chain — from path requests and operational dispatching to deviation management and digital incident reporting.
Through the automation and standardization of these workflows, manual effort is significantly reduced, sources of error are minimized, and operational efficiency and reliability in international rail transport are sustainably improved.
Competitive advantages through digital transformation
Companies that view TAF/TAP-TSI not merely as a regulatory requirement but as an integral part of their digitalization strategy gain lasting competitive advantages. Standardization creates the foundation for a stable, cost-efficient, and customer-oriented service offering — for example, by leveraging real-time standardized information to increase responsiveness in both planning and operations.
Those who invest early in the modernization and realignment of their IT infrastructure benefit from tangible efficiency gains and can strengthen their market position in the long term.
Challenges: Complexity, integration, and change management
Implementing TAF/TAP-TSI requires extensive intervention in the existing IT landscape of railway companies. Operationally relevant systems along the entire process chain must be thoroughly adapted or, in some cases, completely redeveloped to reliably process the new data formats and identifiers.
The technical integration is highly complex and demands close, continuous coordination between business units, IT departments, suppliers, and all involved stakeholders — both Infrastructure Managers (IMs) and Railway Undertakings (RUs).
Additional challenges for RUs arise from the fact that:
- The rollout of TAF/TAP-TSI by different infrastructure managers does not occur simultaneously,
- The announced implementation timelines are sometimes postponed by several years, and
- Each country can define certain deviations from the standard through so-called National Specific Parameters (NSPs).
Thus, despite standardization, numerous national particularities must still be taken into account. Legacy and new systems often need to run in parallel for several years, or temporary transitional solutions must be implemented for an uncertain period.
Large railway companies, in particular, often operate historically grown and heterogeneous IT environments that were never designed for seamless interoperability. Without strategic and forward-looking architecture management, there is a real risk of further fragmentation of the IT infrastructure — potentially undermining the very benefits that standardization aims to achieve.
Therefore, consistent harmonization and integration of systems form the essential foundation for a successful and value-creating implementation of TAF/TAP-TSI.
With the introduction of new identifiers — Company Code, TrainID, PathID, and Operational Train Number (OTN) — a unified “language” is entering European rail operations. This step is not only technologically complex but also places high organizational demands on companies.
Existing processes must be thoroughly redesigned, employees need to be specifically prepared for the new workflows, and all interfaces carefully adjusted. A successful and effective transition to these identifiers requires both a deep understanding of operational processes and a consistent, transparent governance structure.
The transformation extends far beyond technical dimensions — it is fundamentally about people. For the new processes to take hold, employees must not only understand them but also actively embrace and help shape them.
This calls for openness to new ways of working, confidence in using modern digital tools, and a willingness to challenge established thinking patterns.
Without effective change management, uncertainty, resistance, and lack of acceptance can quickly arise, jeopardizing overall success.
Leading railway companies address these challenges through:
- Clear and continuous communication,
- Tailored training programs, and
- Early and comprehensive involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
Only by fostering a genuine willingness to change can the new processes be sustainably embedded within the organization and deliver their full potential.
Conclusion: Embracing digitalization as a strategic opportunity
TAF/TAP-TSI is far more than a mere technical specification — it serves as a strategic driver of digital transformation within the European railway sector. The resulting benefits are multifaceted, ranging from greater efficiency and improved data quality to seamless cross-border interoperability and new opportunities for automation. At the same time, the challenges should not be underestimated: alongside considerable technical complexity, companies must also manage deep organizational changes and a high degree of coordination among all stakeholders.
According to Wavestone, the key to success lies in a holistic approach.
It is essential that all Infrastructure Managers (IMs) implement the standard quickly, consistently, and comprehensively, while keeping national deviations and specificities to an absolute minimum.
Railway Undertakings (RUs), in turn, should view the regulatory requirements not in isolation, but as an integral part of their digitalization strategy. Through clear governance structures, effective change management, and a future-proof IT architecture, companies can not only implement TAF/TAP-TSI but also actively shape the transformation — thereby securing and expanding their competitiveness in the European rail market for the long term.
The consistent implementation of TAF/TAP-TSI is expected to lead, over the next five years, to an average 15% reduction in operational data exchange costs within European freight transport — thereby enhancing the attractiveness of rail as a climate-friendly mode of transport.
Source: UIC (International Union of Railways) and Joint Sector Group (JSG)
