Autonomous control offers opportunities for rail
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) says advances in autonomous control could provide significant capacity benefits to the railway, but argues that there are concerns about its application to road transport.
In railway terms, the CILT points out that some metro systems already operate automatically, and although it does not expect drivers to be made redundant on conventional rail networks, it says technology such as moving block signalling could increase capacity.
However, it warns that widespread adoption “implies requirements for significant redundancy and a very high level of reliability given the volumes of traffic affected. Scalability will be a significant challenge as the complexity of the rail network increases with size.”
The findings are contained in the CILT’s latest Vision 2035 report, (Re) inventing the wheel. While much of the report focuses on potential developments which could be applied to road transport, it points out that greater availability and quality of information offers the chance to significantly improve passenger journeys. In particular, suggesting alternatives should connections be missed or services disrupted is highlighted.
The opportunities for the use of increased volumes of data to improve the efficiency of the rail network is also pointed out. Future payment systems are considered, and CILT suggests that organisations such as banks could develop systems to offer transport payment services like Oyster in areas without the resources of big cities.
Reduction of emissions is expected to encourage further electrification of the rail network, with CILT believing that most train mileage will be powered by electricity by 2035. However, the report notes wider considerations about how electricity is generated.
CILT Head of Policy Daniel ParkerKlein said the report “examines a range of issues relating to transport over the next 25 years and looks at potential new technologies ranging from autonomous electric cars to real-time journey management”.
He added: “The report recommends that Government should be focused on reducing the environmental impact of transport and on understanding the effects of autonomous vehicles control.”