REGISTER

D CORRIE CEng FlEE FlRSE

First Presented at the IEE, Savoy Place, London

Look ahead some 25 years: what do you think railways will be like? Recently, many railways have been carrying their largest amount of traffic ever, yet they still have a falling market share, and this shows that society still requires transport to support its economic activities. Much transport depends on oil, a diminishing resource. Rail transport can provide fuel efficiency on trunk routes and electrified railways are less dependent on oil fuel. It is my opinion that railways have much to offer to society in the coming decades. The degree to which railways will achieve such support of society's economic activity depends on two things: an ability to attract investment and an ability to deliver a valued service. For both of these to be achieved railways must improve, both their performance and their image. This improvement depends greatly on control and communication.