© Martin Gibson, trading as Earthly Gains, 2017
This page contains recent blog articles written by members of the Earthly Gains team or its associates.
Trains of the Future
By Martin Gibson
(first published May 26,
2013)
I travel a lot by train.
There are many
reasons for this,
including the fact that
you can travel while
doing something else,
like reading or using a
computer (this was
written while travelling on a train). There is also the positive issue
that it is more fuel efficient than going by car, so the carbon
emissions are much lower.
However, train travel does have its drawbacks. On the system in
the UK, there seem to be a lot of delays due to signal failure.
There is no doubt that signalling is critical to the safe running of
trains but the infrastructure involved seems to get ever more
complex and no more reliable. This may, of course, simply be an
impression, rather than reality but I doubt if many train users
would disagree.
At a recent event in London about a resilient energy system, I
learnt that the normally staid train and track operators are
thinking radically about what the future could hold. The event
covered the resilience of energy supply generally but included a
very informative talk on rail by Mark Gaynor of the Department
for Transport. First, it explained the plans for electrification of
more of the system. This will require considerable amounts of
electricity but will, of course, dramatically reduce the use of diesel
oil. The result should lead to an improvement in air quality, as
long as electricity generation is done wisely. There is also
considerable potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from
rail travel, as long as the electricity comes from low carbon
sources.
Although the talk was mainly about energy on the railways, it was
the view of the future that I found really encouraging. Despite the
conservative nature of the rail industry, they have got together to
think about the future.
The future vision is for trains that communicate with each other
and a central operational system. This will mean that the position
of every train is known, so you should never see signs saying that
your train is on time when it has been cancelled! Better
knowledge of when trains are running can certainly reduce stress
for those of us who might be waiting.
The system will also allow more trains to run because they can
safely be closer to each other. This means more trains on the
same track and, hopefully, fewer overcrowded trains. There is a
strategy document and even a video about the future. Let’s hope
they start to deliver the future visions soon.
Get in touch to discuss how incorporating rail into your business travel
plans can have measurable benefits.