A Formal IDE for Railways: Research Challenges

Abstract

The development of modern railways applications must be supported by trusted tools, able to cover the whole development process. In this paper we report on the research challenges underlying a comprehensive toolset for the design of computer-based interlocking systems. Following a VV development process, the framework adopts a clear separation between the abstract interlocking logic and the instantiations characterizing the single stations. The challenges include the definition of adequate specification languages, the generation of executable code and simulation infrastructure, traceability, test case generation, and formal verification.