In a surprising mix of old technology and critical operations, a German railway company is looking for an administrator to manage its systems running… Windows 3.11 and MS-DOS. This demonstrates the longevity and reliability of these 30 year old operating systems.
As the tech world celebrates the advent of Samsung’s GDDR7 RAM, touted as the fastest in the world. Let Windows 11 strut its stuff with cutting-edge features like Wi-Fi 7 and deep data integration.artificial intelligence. A completely different scene unfolds behind the scenes of the german rail network. In this enclave, time seems to have stood still, where scoreboards and driver information systems still rely on Legacy of Windows 3.11 and MS-DOSas if these technologies refused to retire.
This irony is not lost on anyone. In an age where we can interact with video game characters thanks to AI, the German railway network seems to be clinging to its digital roots, with a nostalgic loyalty to systems that saw the light of day long before the advent of these innovations. And yet, it is precisely in this fidelity to proven technologies that lies the beating heart of railway operations in Germanya reminder that, sometimes, the oldest solutions continue to serve faithfully, despite the incessant evolution of the technological landscape.
A trip back in time: Windows 3.11 is at the heart of the German railway network
With technology rapidly evolving, it’s fascinating to see that operating systems like MS-DOS And Windows 3.11, launched three decades ago, remain at the heart of German rail operations. These systems, operating on machines equipped with processors 166MHz and of 8MB of RAM, manage station display boards and driver’s cab information systems. They provide essential technical data in real time to the drivers of high speed trains (in particular the ICE 1 & 2, whose maximum speed is 280km/h) and regional. This technological persistence can be explained by the principle well anchored in the critical systems : “if it works, there is no need to change”.
The continued use of Windows 3.11 and MS-DOS in German railway infrastructure highlights an often overlooked aspect of the technology: its sustainability. As the industry moves toward more and more advanced innovations, some critical applications remain faithful to proven solutions, despite their age. This situation raises questions about the balance between innovation and reliability, especially when safety and the efficiency of transportation systems depend on it. It is clear that, in certain cases, the ancient technologies continue to play an indispensable role, even in the digital age.
Source: Gulp; Hacker News