This paper summarizes the execution and results of the research project "Reality Lab Digital Railway". The goal of the project is to open up the Swedish transport administration's (Trafikverket's) core business within railway for development and demonstration of digital information logistic solutions that are tested by primary actors and end users. The results of the project can be summarized in the four areas of regulations, organization, roles and technologies that contribute to Trafikverket's ability to achieve the project goals. Examples of results are methodologies and tools for establishing and actively managing a more dynamic regulatory framework. This framework clarifies the need for innovation as well as the specification of the application of digital technologies to strengthen the railway sector's capability. To support collaboration between railway actors during test and demonstration, physical and digital assets as well as ICT-solutions have also been established. The project has also produced proposals for agreements regarding information management between Trafikverket and external parties.

One major prerequisite for an effective implementation and innovation process is the enablement and provision of a collaborative environment. A common area for multi-organisational collaboration together with a technology platform, enabling data sharing and Big Data Analytics, has been developed called ‘Testbed Railway’ with a corresponding framework ‘Railway 4.0’. Testbed Railway can be used to strengthen the railway industry's adaptability and competitiveness by developing and providing a testbed for research and innovation in the rail industry, nationally and internationally.

Globally, railway is experiencing a major technology transformation (or paradigm shift), triggered by the enhanced utilisation of digital technology. This technological transformation affects not only the technical systems, i.e. railway infrastructure and rolling stock, but also regulations, organisations, processes,and individuals. Hence, hardware, software, but also liveware (i.e. humans) are affected. Today, the digitalisation of railway is characterised by digital services. There are also a range of challenges, e.g. data acquisition,transformation, modelling, processing, visualisation, safety, security, quality, and information assurance. To deal with these challenges, the railway industry needs to define strategies, which enable a smooth transformation of the existing configuration to a digitalised system. Digital railway requires a holistic change management approach based on system-of-systems thinking and a set of appropriate technologies and methodologies. The railway digitalisation strategy should be based on systematic risk management that address aspects of, e.g., information security, traffic safety and project risk. In addition, managing changes for a digitalised railway effectively and efficiently also requires a framework for aspects such as needs finding, requirement identification, and impact of changes for individual, teams and organisation. In this work a major case studywithin the ePilot, has been performed in context of the operation and maintenance processes of the Swedish railway. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a framework for implementing innovations and driving change in a digitalised railway.