Rail & Metros

Rail and Metros

Future rail services will focus on the total journey as passengers will seek out the trip that offers the most efficient means of getting from point A to B. Integrated journey information and seamless connections to other transport modes such as bus and plane will create a hassle-free, holistic travel experience. For the freight rail, improved transit times and consistent reliability are key to the viability of the rail industry in the long term. Moving freight by rail is already far more fuel efficient than moving freight by road. By 2050, competitive pricing, more desirable time slots, good quality rolling stock, big data, improved customer service and reduced border delays will ensure that freight rail has a bright future.

Factors for consideration:

With current urban populations growing at approximately 2 people per second adding approximately 172,800 new city dwellers each day, it is expected that by 2050, around 75% of the world’s population will live in cities.

By 2050 it is expected that 50% of the world’s population will have moved into the middle class, which will have big implications for the volume of travelers and how people choose to move around.

An estimated 90% of population growth is expected to occur in the cities of the developing world.

In 2050, passenger and freight rail will form the backbone of the transport system, linking major urban hubs and feeding into multi-modal local transport networks.

The future anticipated population growth and shift of people to the middle class will need rail and metro transportation improvements such as the following:

Automated passenger trains – Reliable and consistent transportation
Virtual shopping walls in stations – Bar coded items will be ordered by scanning and delivered for the busy commuter
Mobile retail stores – From Starbucks to McDonalds could be offered on the train or metro
Personal Rapid Transit – Your own train or metro unit
Rail Station office complexes – Companies will have their offices located at train or metro stations
Rail stations will become destinations and lifestyle centers that further blend our commute with our lives – Shopping malls, banks, food and grocery stores

NAEG principals and team members continue to participate and invest in potential think-tanks that have already anticipated the “Next Level” and foresee rail and metro technologies being included in the NAEG Tool-Box with respect to its infrastructure and development projects.