Saturday, June 24, 2006
Turbulent times ahead
Attending the World Congress on Railway Research in Montreal earlier this month, Canada's junior transport minister Brian Jean referred to a 'new Golden Age' for rail. It set me wondering what exactly does the industry face in the years ahead?
The increasing globalisation of the world economy offers huge potential for rail transport over the next few years. But harnessing this successfully will require some radical thinking from operators, investors, and politicians alike. If the rail sector is to succeed, it needs to identify its core strengths and build on them. What are the market sectors where the industry can capitalise on the inherent advantages of rail technology?
That the industry is in for a turbulent time was indicated again on Thursday, when the European Commission formally adopted a mid-term review of its 2001 White Paper on Transport Policy to 2010. This endorsed the strategy of opening up Europe's railways to greater competition and deregulation over the next few years. The Commission's hope is that new entrants and new thinking will make rail more competitive with other modes and boost Europe's global competitiveness.
So what role can research play in this? In North America the private freight railroads' focus is primarily on getting better value for money, or 'doing more with less' as former WCRR Chairman Roy Allen of TTCI put it. Engineers are pushing at the boundaries of railway technology in terms of heavier axleloads, longer rail life, better fuel efficiency and so on. In Europe, we are still at the stage of seeking common technical standards for cross-border operation, which would open up the prospect of longer and more profitable hauls.
Also needing to be addressed in the next few years will be the increasingly important area of environmental sustainability, where the industry has perhaps been resting on its laurels for too long. Work is needed on issues such as noise, exhaust emissions, energy consumption and alternative fuels, and even such apparently esoteric topics as drainage and watercourse pollution. If rail can get its act together, it offers the prospect of reduced environmental impact and a reduced reliance on cars, lorries or aircraft.
All of these topics - and more - will still be regularly explored in the news and feature pages of Railway Gazette International, but over the coming months I hope this forum will allow people to discuss some of the issues in a more relaxed manner.
The increasing globalisation of the world economy offers huge potential for rail transport over the next few years. But harnessing this successfully will require some radical thinking from operators, investors, and politicians alike. If the rail sector is to succeed, it needs to identify its core strengths and build on them. What are the market sectors where the industry can capitalise on the inherent advantages of rail technology?
That the industry is in for a turbulent time was indicated again on Thursday, when the European Commission formally adopted a mid-term review of its 2001 White Paper on Transport Policy to 2010. This endorsed the strategy of opening up Europe's railways to greater competition and deregulation over the next few years. The Commission's hope is that new entrants and new thinking will make rail more competitive with other modes and boost Europe's global competitiveness.
So what role can research play in this? In North America the private freight railroads' focus is primarily on getting better value for money, or 'doing more with less' as former WCRR Chairman Roy Allen of TTCI put it. Engineers are pushing at the boundaries of railway technology in terms of heavier axleloads, longer rail life, better fuel efficiency and so on. In Europe, we are still at the stage of seeking common technical standards for cross-border operation, which would open up the prospect of longer and more profitable hauls.
Also needing to be addressed in the next few years will be the increasingly important area of environmental sustainability, where the industry has perhaps been resting on its laurels for too long. Work is needed on issues such as noise, exhaust emissions, energy consumption and alternative fuels, and even such apparently esoteric topics as drainage and watercourse pollution. If rail can get its act together, it offers the prospect of reduced environmental impact and a reduced reliance on cars, lorries or aircraft.
All of these topics - and more - will still be regularly explored in the news and feature pages of Railway Gazette International, but over the coming months I hope this forum will allow people to discuss some of the issues in a more relaxed manner.
