The railML Certification Manual is a fundamental document that guides the standards and practices of rail data exchange. As of September 1st, 2023, a significant update has brought several minor yet impactful adjustments.

One key change involves the clarification of certification contacts, ensuring more efficient and straightforward communication within the certification framework. The manual now specifies that all certification requests should be directed exclusively to certification@railml.org, eliminating ambiguity and enhancing communication efficiency. Furthermore, a typographical error in the certification costs has been revised and the certification cycle costs have been updated for accuracy.

It is important to emphasize that the railML organization has introduced a mandatory certification program for all railML-enabled interfaces utilizing versions railML 2.X and railML 3.X. This certification requirement applies to all railML interfaces released or registered on railML.org after July 1st, 2013. Besides that, this update enforces the requirement for certification across all interfaces handling a valid railML payload. This includes not only file-based import/export but also message queuing systems and point-to-point interfaces like REST, SOAP, or Protobuf. The purpose of this certification program is to ensure the quality and compatibility of railML interfaces within the rail industry.