OpenRail Designer
Civil engineering design software
CAD software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$8,648.00 per 12‑month practitioner subscription
Free Trial unavailableFree version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Transportation and logistics
- Public sector and nonprofit organizations
- Construction
What is OpenRail Designer
OpenRail Designer is a civil engineering and CAD application for designing, analyzing, and documenting rail infrastructure such as track alignments, corridors, and related civil works. It targets rail engineers, civil designers, and project teams that need model-based design deliverables and construction documentation. The product is built on Bentley’s CAD platform and is commonly used in workflows that integrate rail geometry, terrain/model data, and plan production within a single environment.
Rail-specific design workflows
OpenRail Designer includes rail-focused tools for track geometry, alignments, and corridor-style modeling that fit typical railway design processes. This reduces reliance on generic CAD workarounds for rail elements compared with general-purpose drafting tools. It supports producing engineering deliverables (plans and reports) from the design model, which helps maintain consistency between geometry and documentation.
Integrated CAD platform foundation
The product runs on Bentley’s underlying CAD platform, which supports detailed drafting, referencing, and model organization used in infrastructure projects. This allows teams to combine rail design with broader civil context (surfaces, corridors, and existing conditions) in the same environment. It also supports common enterprise deployment patterns used by engineering organizations (managed workspaces, standards, and shared resources).
Supports model-based deliverables
OpenRail Designer is designed for model-centric workflows where geometry drives drawings and quantities rather than disconnected 2D files. This can improve change management when alignments or profiles update during design iterations. It is suited to multidisciplinary coordination where rail design must remain consistent with civil features and constraints.
Learning curve for new users
The interface and workflow concepts can be complex for users coming from lighter-weight CAD tools or from different civil design ecosystems. Teams often need formal training and standardized templates to be productive. This can increase onboarding time for occasional users or smaller organizations.
Licensing and administration complexity
Enterprise licensing models and configuration (workspaces, standards, and project setups) can require dedicated administration. Organizations may need to invest in governance to keep configurations consistent across projects and offices. This overhead can be disproportionate for small teams with simple drafting needs.
Interoperability requires planning
While the product supports exchanging data with other tools and formats, cross-platform collaboration can still require careful workflow design and validation. Differences in object models, standards, and deliverable requirements can lead to rework when coordinating with external parties using other CAD/civil platforms. Teams typically need defined exchange standards and QA checks to avoid downstream issues.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Virtuoso Subscription (12‑month practitioner license) | $8,648.00 per 12‑month subscription (USD) | Named‑user 12‑month subscription sold via Bentley's eStore (Virtuosity); purchase includes 2 "Keys" (credits redeemable for training/consulting); taxes not included; auto‑renew option. |
| Perpetual License with SELECT | Custom pricing | One‑time perpetual license purchase; annual SELECT maintenance (quoted by Bentley) provides 24/7/365 technical support, learning resources, license pooling, and the ability to exchange licenses. Contact Bentley for quote. |
| Enterprise / Global / Volume agreements | Custom pricing | Enterprise/global pricing and portfolio access handled via Bentley sales — contact Bentley for implementation, success plan services, and volume/enterprise terms. |
Seller details
Bentley Systems, Incorporated
Exton, Pennsylvania, USA
1984
Public
https://www.bentley.com/
https://x.com/bentleysystems
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bentley-systems/
