Last week we attended the Expo Ferroviaria in Milan, where innovation and reliability in the railway sector took centre stage. The event gathered engineers, system integrators, and suppliers from across Europe – all sharing one mission: to build a smarter, safer, and more sustainable railway network. 

“We met partners old and new, sharing insights on compliance, documentation, and traceability, values at the core of both the rail industry and Confidee’s mission for a transparent, compliant PCB supply chain”, says Sales Manager Italy Andrea Queirolo. 

Designing PCBs for the Railway Industry – what to remember
When developing printed circuit boards for railway applications, engineers and manufacturers must consider a demanding mix of environmental, safety, and regulatory factors. A few essential points to keep in mind: 

Vibration and Shock Resistance: Ensure robust board design and component mounting (e.g., conformal coating, mechanical reinforcement) to handle continuous vibration and mechanical stress. 

Thermal Management: Railway environments experience wide temperature variations. Material selection (high-TG laminates, thermal vias, copper balancing) is critical. 

Compliance with railway safety standards such as EN 45545-2 (fire protection), EN 50155 (electronic equipment on rolling stock), and full documentation according to European interoperability requirements. 

Long-term trustworthiness: Designs must support long lifecycles (often 20+ years). Pay attention to corrosion protection, humidity control, and design for maintenance. 

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC): Rail systems involve complex signal and power interactions; proper grounding, shielding, and layout separation are essential. 

Traceability and Documentation: Full supply-chain visibility and documentation are mandatory to comply with international railway standards and operator requirements.  

Cyber-secure and traceable supply chains, ensuring every component and process can be verified – from prototype to field installation. 

Sustainable sourcing and materials, supporting the rail sector’s decarbonisation goals. 

The Italian railway industry’s transformation – driven by sustainability, digitalisation, and safety – opens major opportunities for suppliers who can combine technical trustworthiness with full compliance and traceability. 

At Confidee, we help our partners ensure that every PCB is compliant, traceable, and built for the lifetime of the train – from signalling and control systems to onboard communication and safety modules.