Rail or train transport has always been considered one of the most important and cost-effective modes of transportation, particularly in moving both people and goods through different distances by land.
It is considered the most dependable transport because it is not as commonly affected by extremes in weather conditions (e.g. heavy rain or fog).
However, according to the 2017 Transport Statistics Report of Great Britain, only 10% of commuters prefer rail transportation against the 67% that prefer cars and vans when traveling, the reason being that rail transport fare is far more expensive than any other mode of transportation.
Also, some passengers point out that travelling by train is slower than driving by car.
To make rail transport more appealing to the public, its system needs sound mechanical, structural, and software engineering expertise to thrive in the modern world.
Modern technologies such as Elon Musk’s Hyperloop project can bring back the public’s interest in rail transportation.
The smallest things can create the greatest impact on the economy. The following are some key technologies that Nitrexo can help rail transport systems with:
Contrary to popular belief, digitalisation is not equivalent to automation. In the case of rail transport, the aim of digital conversion is not to replace employees but to improve the transport services through technology.
The concept is not entirely new as rail transport digitalisation began in the early 1990s. Adopting the newest rail transport digital technologies can effectively reduce a railway’s life-cycle cost by half while more than doubling its capacity and punctuality.
Digitalisation can serve as a positive reinforcement for the rail’s subsystems and equipment and introduce much-needed innovations such as trip trackers, face-recognition ticketing software, and passenger-centric mobile apps.
CBTC (Communication-Based Train Control System) and ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) have been around for decades. However, there’s always room for improvement as new information and communication technologies are being introduced in the market.
ERMTS, in particular, targets a single control/command communication standard that would ensure the rail transport’s safety and promote competitiveness at a global scale. The original plan was to roll out the project by 2020, although this plan was later modified to a more realistic 2023 timeline.
Current software technologies make it possible for rail transport systems to obtain automated and sensor-based maintenance capabilities.
Using codes and advanced analytics, it is possible to gather important data and information on maintenance patterns.
This in turn can offer substantial operational values and reduce manpower, spare parts, and overhead costs. Using advanced analytics can also pave the way to multimodality platforms in the system.
Such adoption provides quick and measurable outputs upon implementation and would therefore increase the overall efficiency and competency of the whole rail transport system and operations.
As rail transport is an indicator of economic progress, cities need to team up with an expert like Nitrexo to continuously improve the system and update its technology.
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