IEC 62279-2015 PDF

Full title and description

Railway applications - Communication, signalling and processing systems - Software for railway control and protection systems. IEC 62279:2015 specifies process and technical requirements for the development of software for programmable electronic systems used in railway control and protection applications, with emphasis on areas that have safety implications (software lifecycle, verification/validation, tool qualification and organisation of software activities).

Abstract

IEC 62279:2015 (Edition 2.0) provides requirements and guidance for the whole software development lifecycle for safety‑related railway software, covering requirements management, design, implementation, verification, validation, configuration management, maintenance and deployment. The 2015 edition adds requirements on software management and organisation (roles and competencies), deployment and maintenance, and includes a new clause on tools aligned with IEC 61508-2:2010.

General information

• Status: Active / current (replaces IEC 62279:2002).
• Publication date: 25 June 2015.
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
• ICS / categories: 45.060.01 (Railway rolling stock in general).
• Edition / version: Edition 2.0 (2015).
• Number of pages: 272 pages.

citation

Scope

Applies to software and the interaction between software and the system of which it is part for programmable electronic systems used in railway control and protection applications where failures can affect safety functions. The standard is not intended for software identified as having no impact on safety. It covers implementation on a variety of architectures (microprocessors, PLCs, multiprocessor distributed systems, central processors, etc.) and is intended to be used together with IEC 62278 (RAMS).

Key topics and requirements

• Software lifecycle requirements: planning, requirements engineering, architectural and detailed design, implementation, integration and release management.
• Verification and validation: reviews, static analysis, unit/module/integration testing, system validation and reporting of test coverage and completeness.
• Configuration, change and release management, and documentation required for traceability and assessment.
• Functional safety considerations and assignment of software integrity levels (SIL-related activities in practice via alignment with railway RAMS processes).
• Organisational and management requirements: definition of roles, competencies, responsibilities, and processes for deployment and maintenance.
• Tool qualification and assessment requirements (references and alignment with IEC 61508-2:2010 for tool-related evidence).
• Requirements for independent assessment/evaluation and evidence for certification or acceptance activities.

Typical use and users

Used by railway system integrators, signalling subsystem manufacturers, software developers, safety engineers, verification and validation teams, independent assessors and certification bodies involved in the development, deployment and maintenance of safety‑related railway software. It is used as a normative or informative reference in procurement, safety cases and independent assessments.

Related standards

IEC 62279 is the international counterpart to the CENELEC railway software standard commonly known as EN 50128 (IEC/EN alignment). It is intended to be read alongside IEC 62278 (RAMS / EN 50126), EN 50129 (safety-related electronic systems for signalling) and functional safety standards such as IEC 61508 (for tool qualification and certain safety concepts). Recent regional updates to CENELEC documents should be checked for the latest harmonised European references.

Keywords

railway software, signalling, control systems, software lifecycle, verification and validation, tool qualification, RAMS, IEC 62278, EN 50128, safety integrity, configuration management

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC 62279:2015 is an international standard that defines process and technical requirements for the development of software used in railway control and protection systems (safety‑related software).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the software lifecycle (requirements, design, implementation, testing, verification/validation), configuration and change management, roles and organisational requirements, tool qualification and evidence needed for independent assessment and deployment.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Railway signalling and control system manufacturers, software suppliers, safety engineers, independent assessors and certification bodies use it as a baseline for developing and assessing safety‑related software.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: IEC 62279:2015 (Edition 2.0) replaced IEC 62279:2002 and is listed as the current edition (publication date 25 June 2015). Users should however verify any national or regional harmonised replacements and related CENELEC updates when applying the standard in a regulatory context.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the railway functional safety and RAMS family of documents; most notably it is intended to be used together with IEC 62278 (RAMS / EN 50126) and is aligned with other railway standards such as EN 50129 and EN 50128 (the latter being the CENELEC equivalent of IEC 62279).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Railway software, signalling, safety, software lifecycle, verification, validation, tool qualification, RAMS, SIL, configuration management.