This past year has seen improvements in economic activity for railroads -- both freight and passenger rail. Companies will need to continue to think smarter about how to optimize resources and drive innovation as they operate in a world where our transportation systems are overburdened by population growth, urbanization and globalization.
It’s estimated up to $30 trillion will be spent on transportation infrastructure around the world in the next two decades. But improving the physical infrastructure can only take us so far.
Technology can, and is, playing a transformative role as we improve our transportation infrastructure. The next few decades will be defined by data now that we can measure, monitor and manage rail operations in real time.
By recognizing that railroads are carriers not only of people and goods, but also of information -- valuable data that can be collected, analyzed and shared -- companies can better predict demand and optimize capacity, proactively manage assets and infrastructure to predict and prevent issues before they occur, and make the end-to-end journey more seamless for passengers and freight.
Rather than simply adding more trains or building new track, railroads will begin to rely on smarter systems that leverage a combination of technology, planning and greater intelligence to harness data that will be used to meet consumer demand for better service and haul goods more efficiently with less environmental impact.
As these systems become more like a rolling information highway on rails -- with digitally aware and interconnected trains, tracks, stations and other assets -- successful organizations will have the agility to be more responsive to address the numerous global challenges in the industry.