The Shift to Linked Data
RINF 2026 moves from XML document exchange to RDF (Resource Description Framework) linked data. This is a significant architectural change in how infrastructure data is represented.
From Documents to Knowledge Graph
Previously, RINF submissions were XML documents with hierarchical structure—tracks nested inside operational points, parameters nested inside tracks. Relationships were implied by document structure.
In the linked data model, everything is expressed as explicit statements (triples): subject-predicate-object. A track doesn’t “belong to” an operational point by being nested inside it; there’s an explicit era:track relationship connecting them.
era:BE_Brussels_South rdf:type era:OperationalPoint ;
era:opName "Brussels-South" ;
era:track era:BE_Track_T1 .What This Enables
The European RINF becomes a queryable knowledge graph with over 30 million statements. Cross-border queries, route compatibility checks, and data integration across Infrastructure Managers become possible in ways that document-based exchange couldn’t support.
Validation with SHACL
Document validation moves from XML Schema (XSD) to SHACL (Shapes Constraint Language). SHACL can express constraints that span multiple resources—for example, ensuring that every track references a valid operational point that actually exists in the graph.
ERA publishes the SHACL shapes your data must conform to. Running validation locally before submission helps catch issues early.