AS 7739.2 Digital engineering for fixed rail infrastructure - Part 2 Technical requirements

This Standard AS 7739 Part 2 provides detailed technical requirements (including specifications and procedures) for the procurement and management of digital engineering project deliverables.

This Standard included AS 7739.2_Appendix A_Common Data Dictionary (CDD) as a separate file in XLSX format.

The key points of AS 7739.2 include:

1. Digital Engineering (DE) Business Setup: Focuses on the necessary business improvements prior to the procurement and implementation of DE in rail infrastructure projects.
2. DE Project Planning: Outlines the activities needed for scoping and specifying DE in project contracts, which helps inform the procurement of DE services.
3. DE Project Delivery: Details the activities essential for successfully delivering DE services in rail infrastructure projects.

This builds on the concepts and principles previously outlined in AS 7739.1, which defined key DE concepts and provided general guidance on DE and data management.

AS 7739.2 present significant opportunities for the Australian and New Zealand rail infrastructure sector to improve data management and promote sector wide digital transformation. By adopting this Standard, all parties throughout the value chain will be able to communicate reliably using a common digital language, based on the AS 7739 common data model and data dictionary.
RISSB highlights that the AS 7739 Standards take an alternative approach to traditional and established Building Information Modelling (BIM) processes, and is based on cross sector best practice, such as the DAMA Data Management Body of Knowledge (DMBoK). Digital Engineering (DE) in accordance with AS 7739 is defined as “a collaborative way of working, using semantic data management, to enable more productive methods of project delivery and asset management” – and provides a common data model and data dictionary for adoption by asset owners in the rail infrastructure sector.

AS 7739.2 will drive major efficiencies by preventing data loss, automating manual processes, and reducing the need for information to be reassured or recreated at each lifecycle stage. This approach ensures seamless data handover into operations and maintenance, leading to significant productivity improvements over the full asset lifecycle.

The Standard represents a major shift in managing project and asset data through a secure, centralised database accessible to all relevant parties, without relying on specialist BIM applications. While BIM remains an important project component, it is no longer the core focus.

Digital Engineering (DE) allows for data integration across all stakeholders, creating a “digital thread” that supports process automation and enhances the management of data as a valuable asset.

The key risks managed through the use of this Standard include insufficient or poor infrastructure maintenance and errors in installation and maintenance resulting from inadequate configuration management. By addressing these risks, the Standard helps ensure proper upkeep of infrastructure and promotes accurate installation practices, ultimately enhancing safety and reliability within the rail sector.

To implement this Standard, it is recommended that each organisation’s Digital Engineering (DE) teams review the AS 7739 Standards and apply them to specific rail infrastructure projects. This initial release of the AS 7739 series focuses on enhancing capital expenditure (CAPEX) stages—namely, planning, design, building, and handover—within the asset lifecycle. This focus aims to address significant gaps in data management processes and facilitate rapid adoption on major rail infrastructure projects.

The operations and maintenance (O&M) phase is intentionally excluded in this first release due to the considerable technical complexities involved in transforming current practices, along with commercial challenges posed by varying long-term contracts with legacy enterprise asset management systems.

In the future, additional efforts may be made to streamline mapping processes between the AS 7739 data dictionary and O&M systems, potentially addressing this current exclusion.