Skip to main content

Rail signalling system ‘could be liable to hacking’

A new rail signalling system to be installed across the UK could be liable to hacking, a government adviser has warned. Professor David Stupples told the BBC that the European Rail Traffic Management system (ERTMS) could be exposed to malicious software, or malware, and used to cause an accident perhaps telling the system the train is slowing when down when it is speeding up. "However, he said governments aren't complacent."Certain ministers know this is absolutely possible and they are worried about
April 27, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A new rail signalling system to be installed across the UK could be liable to hacking, a government adviser has warned.

Professor David Stupples told the BBC that the European Rail Traffic Management system (ERTMS) could be exposed to malicious software, or malware, and used to cause an accident perhaps telling the system the train is slowing when down when it is speeding up.

"However, he said governments aren't complacent."Certain ministers know this is absolutely possible and they are worried about it. Safeguards are going in, in secret, but it's always possible to get around them," he said.

ERTMS uses a computer in the driver's cab to control the speed and movement of the train, whilst taking account of other trains on the railway. Although still operating under the umbrella term of ERTMS, 5021 Network Rail says it is creating its own traffic management system to optimise performance.

Network Rail said it acknowledges the threat. A spokesman said "We know that the risk [of a cyber-attack] will increase as we continue to roll out digital technology across the network. We work closely with government, the security services, our partners and suppliers in the rail industry and external cyber security specialists to understand the threat to our systems and make sure we have the right controls in place."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • North Florida signals coordinated approach to congestion management
    October 7, 2013
    David Crawford investigates innovative congestion management in Florida. The largest US city by area is well into the implementation of an ambitious congestion management system (CMS) on the scale of those of higher-profile centres such as Seattle and San Francisco. Regional agency the North Florida Transportation Planning Organisation (NFTPO) aims to ensure that commuters on major highways in Jacksonville can rely on a minimum 72km/h (45mph) driving speed in normal conditions.
  • Airborne traffic monitoring - the future?
    March 1, 2013
    A new frontier in the quest to monitor road traffic is opening up… but using airborne drones to reduce the jams comes with some thorny issues. Chris Tindall reports. Imagine if you could rely on a system that provided all the data you needed to regulate traffic flow, route vehicles and respond swiftly to emergencies for a fraction of the cost of piloting a helicopter. That system exists, but as engineers and traffic managers start to explore the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – more commonly k
  • London steps up enforcement of ‘bike boxes’
    August 15, 2013
    Transport for London (TfL), the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and City of London Police (CoLP) has stepped up its enforcement of advanced stop lines, more commonly known as ‘bike boxes’, to help further improve safety for cyclists on the capital’s roads. Advanced stop lines are the boxes marked on the road with a bike symbol painted inside, located at many traffic lights. The cyclist has a stop line several feet ahead of the line used by other vehicles in order to give cycles more space so they can be s
  • Intelligent crossing points leads to safer future for pedestrians
    May 19, 2014
    An innovative project at a busy UK retail park could provide the blueprint for a new approach to pedestrian safety, according to its developers. The system utilised hard-wired active flashing LED road studs from Rennicks UK to delineate the crossing, in conjunction with LED warning signs from Swarco. Pole-mounted C-Walk pedestrian detectors from Flir activate the high performance LED studs to create a striking visual warning for motorists approaching an internal crossing at Giltbrook, near Nottingham.