Train Control and Management System (TCMS)
The Train Control and Management System (TCMS) is the onboard control network that coordinates a train's subsystems (traction, braking, doors, HVAC and diagnostics) over train buses such as MVB, WTB or Ethernet (IEC 61375). It is the train's internal industrial network and a central onboard cybersecurity concern.
How it works
The TCMS connects the vehicle control units in each car with the driver's desk and the subsystem controllers, exchanging commands and status over a train-wide bus. The IEC 61375 Train Communication Network (TCN) standard defines the vehicle bus (MVB or Ethernet Consist Network) and the train bus (WTB or Ethernet Train Backbone) that links coupled consists.
The TCMS also aggregates diagnostic data and, on many modern fleets, forwards it to the ground via a gateway for maintenance and fleet management.
Why it matters for security
The TCMS carries safety-relevant commands and increasingly shares physical or logical connectivity with passenger Wi-Fi, CCTV, infotainment and remote diagnostics gateways. That convergence makes network separation onboard and monitoring of TCMS traffic a core element of rolling-stock cybersecurity.
Related solution
Securing rolling stock across mixed fleets and vendors
Onboard control, communications and passenger systems, protected across fleets.
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