While train journeys are enjoyable than any other public transport options in developed countries, governments in developing economies are also striving to bring in the comfort of better and more convenient train journeys. Railway tracks are being laid for supporting rapid but fuel-efficient railways. However, the advent of technology in favor of quick public transit are still inadequate to reflect the ‘smart’ factor through all the recent technological advancements.
The futuristic railways will be ‘smart railways’ that would possess an exclusive set of technologies, compared to conventional railways. According to a recent market study conducted by Future Market Insights, the global revenue sales of smart railways in 2015 totaled over $ 17 Bn, which are likely to grow almost tenfold by the end of 2025 end, surpassing a value of $ 160 Bn. The estimated figures are massive and make it imperative for us to throw light on what factors will influence the popularization and sales of smart railways concept most.
Optimizing the Transportation Capacity
Increasing adoption of predictive analytics in provision of smart railway solutions is greatly favoring the rail transport systems management. The train couches would be redesigned to suit either the brimming transportation capacity or to accommodate larger passenger hordes through extended couches. On the other hand, trains would also be modified as per the need for reducing the number of couches. By this, the vacant seating capacity that is usually wasted per travel, would also be eliminated.
Integrated Ticketing for Ticketless Travel
Ticketless travel would be a smart application of the smart railway software, ultimately aimed at curtailing the use of paper that is consumed in large qualities while printing tickets. Consumers and in facts, no one would virtually bypass security personnel or ticket conductors with a reason of losing printed tickets. The e-tickets would be barcode-enabled, delivered through handy gadgets. Passengers’ RFID tracking will be the key to detect ticketless travel and skip long ticketing queues. Smart tickets will become more ubiquitous
Ergonomic Station and Platform Design
Enhanced comfort at railway couches as well as stations is considered one of the top advantages of the smart railways concept. Passengers would access smart railway solution apps and get a quick look at the vacant seats present inside trains as well as on platforms. Seating surfaces would also be surveyed for the comfort level they offer, with the help of pressure- sensor technologies.
Big Data & IoT for Security & Consumer Behavior
With the emergence of smart railways concept, the security risks also spring up instantly. Thus, adoption of Big Data and IoT for security would be a much need move for the smart railways industry. Features, such as computer-based point machines and positive train control are inclined more toward digital platforms from analogue. IoT and Big Data, in addition to providing safety features, would also deliver valued insights into consumer/traveler behavior, which would help operators a lot to understand, plan, and execute as per the travelers’ requirements.
Funds from Governments Spike up
The real-time success of the smart railways project will supposedly be the result of governmental support and sufficient funds. Several governments across the globe have already started to work on railway systems modernization on priority, whereas most of others are in some or the other stage of the research and approval process. Overall, governments are increasing their support to the smart railways initiative through swelling funds.
Moreover, implementation of smart railways would also be impacted to a great extent by digital payment, fiber optic technology incorporation, cloud computing, and adoption of GSM-R systems.
The insights based on the smart railways market are sourced from a recently published report outlook by Future Market Insights.
