Digitalisation is a current priority on the agenda of authorities and also of companies from numerous industries, which are increasingly interested in streamlining their activities and operations, as technology is considered a contribution to sustained performance, high-standard quality and safety, low costs and decrease of the environmental impact, another intensely debated and approached objective.
Although the various technologies are still at concept and test stages, and some of them are implemented, each of our clicks contributes to a galloping inflow of new technological standards. We may consider that “the future” is far… no, it isn’t… because technology and the scale of the technologization process start to take shape in our lives, we are getting used to them and they provide an ever-increasing daily influence on our way of making choices and living.
In transport, technology starts to be widely applied, from low fuel consumption vehicles, or vehicles that run on new types of fuels or propulsion systems, to autonomous and automated vehicles, with infrastructures and devices to allow their operation. Digitalisation is the key to the substantial change of the transport system.
In the railway system, digitalisation is of capital importance in its development and transformation into a new economy. Its goal is to provide much more attractive, effective, high-performance transport options to make this transport made the first choice.
Endless possibilities
Currently, the emphasis on technology is increasingly significant, as this is the key element of industry development, digitalisation being a mega-trend that will shape the formation of the future society, providing an extremely large variety of possibilities to transform our way of living, of using the services, of communicating, practically of changing the various sides of our lives.
Smart technology and digitalisation represent one of the most fundamental changes of society along time, allowing the formation of our future. Authorities, the business environment, economies, each separate society, regardless of its rate of development, and each person will feel these transformations, which are currently undergoing a fast-paced expansion and are undoubtedly directed towards a great transformation.
In the past decades, the information and communication technology determined changes in our society and it contributed to the facilitation of research and development of technologies in all economic and social segments, being particularly implemented in health, engineering, science, transport, and currently the technology has become applicable in all sectors, with development and modification being considered inclusively by decision-makers, leaders and industries as an essential step in the development of mankind.
The main drive of digitalisation was and is the development of the internet, which has become more and more available since the 90’s. The development of web technologies has significantly altered the communication patterns in the business environment, in organisations, authorities, communities and regions, but also on individual level. The swiftness of use and implementation of new technologies also depends on each separate individual. For example, with each use or user of the internet, technology covers more and more areas and regions, which is confirmed by statistics. According to Statista statistics, the total number of internet users in 2017 was of 3.58 billion users, which was an increase as compared to the previous year, when there were 3.39 billion. Compared to 2010, their number increased by 1.59 billion, from 1.991 billion (in 2010) in this 7-year period.
Practically, about 50% of the world’s population uses the internet, which has a significant impact on economic development on multiple segments, while the other half (approximately) of the population still cannot access the internet due to various discrepancies, either specific to their regions or they do not benefit from digital or basic infrastructure (for internet access), but also due to other factors.
Barriers against the increase of internet use – related to infrastructure, financial accessibility, skills, cultural and local acceptance etc., can be approached by authorities which, in their turn, can facilitate access, and they are also related to the cooperation between the private sector, the public sector and the civil society, which can become involved in the facilitation of investments and the development of connectivity, but also to technological innovation and business models that manage to decrease such barriers.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most discussed and approached concepts regarding technological development, as it is a network consisting of billions of devices connected through the internet, which collect and share information. Its goal is to create integration opportunities in the shaping of a smarter and more connected global society, by means of elements it uses, combined with the electronic integration, software, sensors and other elements, which allow connection and data exchange. IoT plays a role in the digital transformation of industries as well, as they are the basis of technological trends – such as artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, big data.
Although IoT is the result of technological evolution in the past 15 years, it is currently skyrocketing as the authorities and companies are increasingly interested in its potential and applicability. According to IHS, the IoT market will increase from 15.4 billion installed devices (in 2015), to 30.7 billion in 2020, reaching 75.4 billion until 2025. For manufacturers, opportunities also regard the smart control upon their businesses, high-performance real-time asset management, and the development and delivery of smart and connected products and services.
IHS notes that there are three IoT factors that are decisive for the industry. One of them is automation, which, by connection of machines, sensors, and devices to computing systems, allows a high level of process automation; another is integration, which brings much more benefits than a simple connection of a machine/equipment, and the automation of its performance rate, by the integration of data from one machine with those from other resources, open government databases and social media, providing a very high optimisation of the value derived from the connection of the equipment/machine. “Servitization” is a third factor, determined by integration and automation, which will support organisations in their transition from product-centred business models to those that are focused on services.
The transport system is changing
In the industry, technology and innovation play a decisive role in the growth of production, of the rate of transformation in the production process, of product development and the combination of technology use provides added value to products and services, innovation being key to the increase of competitiveness and economic and social development.
Production includes a wide manufacturing process, from everything related to research and development, engineering, to the product itself, consumer behaviour and end-use cycles and it includes various sectors.
The manufacturing industry, agriculture, health and transport are the main sectors that are already undergoing transformation.
For the transport industry, innovation is crucial for its capacity to meet future traffic needs, improve security and safety levels, provide flexible capacities, use resources in a smart manner and reach performance, environment protection and decarbonization targets. Shortly, innovation is consistent with the shaping of a durable, competitive, customer-oriented and unitary transport system.
Digitalisation has a radical impact on the achievement of an effective transport system that is ready to take on any challenge, and the use of new technologies will enable the development of new services that will be connected in various ways to other services and infrastructures, as well as the development of new business models and new vehicles, all of them being interconnected physically and virtually.
New technologies will improve safety and accessibility, including financial accessibility to transport options, will provide new opportunities for cleaner transport, with lower to no emissions, will determine the decrease of costs, travel times, with much higher potential for economic growth and they will also achieve integration on all levels – infrastructure, modal, services, etc.
New transport concepts facilitated by modern technology are developing rapidly, particularly on the automotive market (eco vehicles, autonomous vehicles, etc.), which can be a challenge or an opportunity for the development of the other transport modes.
Innovation is on its way to being implemented in the railway industry as well, based on promising future transport projects, tests and new products. If the past years have been characterised by the importance of the “digitalisation” concept in industries, and in the transport industry in particular, due to the many challenges set by the society and economy, the railway sector already had an advantage compared to other transport industries: benefits regarding capacity, power to contribute to decarbonization and the fulfilment of environmental impact reduction targets, its ability to decrease costs and the time of travel and to increase efficiency.
Despite the need to improve its efficiency and attractiveness, the railway sector has the ability to answer all necessities and has every chance to become the backbone of the entire transport system. This is also widely emphasised by the European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC) in the publication “Rail 2050 Vision”, which notes that the development of railway transport can be one of the keypoints in configuring the transport system, as it is envisaged by 2050 it would become a key element for the economy, mobility, society and industry. ERRAC also considers that in order for railway transport to become the main means of transport, it requires investments in research, development and innovation never seen before: three decades long, it requires EUR 250 billion to become the transport mode of the future.
From driver assistance to rail automation
Freight transport requires the development of new concepts, services, and integration, especially considering that trade estimates indicate increases. For example, according to the WTO, global trade will reach an increase by 4.4% this year, and 4% for 2019, following the last year’s largest increase in the past six years (4.7%). In 2017, exports of goods from WTO member states reached a total of USD 17.43 trillion, and the export of business services reached USD 5.19 trillion.
Trade, materialized in acquisitions, production, distribution, could not exist without a transport and logistic system, as it connects the sellers and buyers and provides companies with access to national and international markets. Services are a cost-influencing factor, they determine competitiveness, and their integration in the global trading system brings added value to acquisition, production, and distribution networks, as it represents the basis of all economies.
The digitalisation of transport becomes all the more important, as it plays an important role for trade (regardless of level – global, national, regional), improving traffic and management significantly, and by facilitating access and providing data sharing (on traffic, goods, travel, vehicles, etc.) to the factors involved in the entire supply chain, it may form a unitary and integrated system that provides necessary information, configures and develops new services and improves those already available.
The past decades have been characterised by bursts of innovation in transport technologies, which made possible the achievement of targets for a sustainable future, with high-performance and accurate transport systems. From propulsion power, vehicles, monitoring systems, to required infrastructure and operating systems, evolution is fast and ready to tackle the biggest challenges.
Effectiveness, simplification of procedures, decrease of costs, effective use of vehicles, infrastructure, resources, all can be improved and developed by digitalisation, which also has the ability and the potential to shape new business model patterns and to alter the way flows of goods are organized and managed. In all these scenarios, companies, operators, and the industry are open to new challenges and ready to approach them.
At least in the transport industry, automation has become one of the most implemented concepts, and it has determined an increase of accurate and safe travelling speeds, and railway transport is no exception from that, although the technology used for road transport may put pressure on the industry. In the following years, advanced technology may bring us spectacular developments in the railway industry, which may be implemented on a large scale with many driverless trains, real-time monitoring of the rolling stock and infrastructure, maintenance schedules, accuracy, effectiveness and safety. Even if there still are some obstacles against the launching of driverless technologies on the market, competitivity and strong technological advancement will determine the implementation of the latest technologies.
For many, the “driverless” concept could be equated to road transport considering that it has enjoyed a lot of attention lately, including in the media, and given that most passengers still use automotive transport, they might be interested more in this development of the automotive industry without involving the other transport modes.
The concept and the systems that allow the “driverless” autonomous and automated operation in the railway system are not new, as the driverless concept has been mostly applied in urban rail transport, with the potential of eliminating human error and of reconfiguring the traveling method and the mobility system.
Railway freight transport will also benefit from this concept, as autonomous vehicles are smart, lighter, with potential for higher efficiency, accuracy and speed.
Since last year, the researchers from German Aerospace Centre (DLR) have been presenting NGT CARGO, an innovative and holistic concept that will meet the criteria of “transport for the future” and will determine a significant increase in the market share of the railway industry. The concept is based on a high level of automation, smart operation and high travel speed, which will make railway transport flexible, with enhanced capacity.
The concept of the NGT CARGO automated train includes is focused on a train structure that is based on individual wagons and end wagons, which make up a single unit and are combined with one or two end wagons to form complete engines. They are coupled automatically, according to demand, allowing for flexible, quick and reliable transport with a low level of resource use. Standalone wagons have their own electric propulsion systems and can travel automatically and autonomously on the last kilometres to the client. These characteristics facilitate a separate and automated operation of individual wagons, without any need for personnel or additional vehicles to execute the manoeuvre activities.
These elements are important because the coupling and uncoupling of cars, including their take-over and delivery consume time and resources that represent 30-40% of the costs.
In order to eliminate all these processes, the NGT CARGO concept of independent and smart railway car has a separate drive based on electric motors and batteries that store the energy recovered during braking. Thus, the concept makes the standalone wagon perform its operation autonomously, without any need of manned intervention, shunters and contact lines. In the end, standalone wagons can travel on their last kilometres to the client, to harbours, logistic terminals, transhipping stations automatically and autonomously, each wagon being provided with special sensors for this activity.
It is also possible to combine passenger carriages and freight wagons, thus allowing an optimal use of available lines.
The travel speed of a train can reach 400 km/h if the infrastructure allows it and on available lines it can reach 160-200 km/h.
According to DLR researchers, one scenario for NGT CARGO may include intercontinental freight transport between Europe and Asia, as an alternative to long-distance sea freight by shipping containers.
Apart from the development of new concepts, the technological advancement allows real-time tests and the implementation of systems and applications in the end. For example, Rio Tinto, one of the largest mining companies in the world, announced in 2008 its vision for the mine of the future, expressing its leader intention to automate mining and freight activities. According to their ambitious plan, the company currently has the largest fleet of driverless trucks in the industry, which are responsible for the iron ore operations in Pilbara (Western Australia), and are remotely controlled from a distance of 1,500 km, from the Operations Centre in Perth. At the beginning of this year, driverless vehicles provided transport for more than 1 billion tonnes of ore.
Also, at the end of 2017, Rio Tinto announced that until 2019 it will extend its fleet of driverless trucks by 50% to 130 vehicles.
This year, Rio Tinto celebrated success in freight automation, this time in the railway sector, as it success -fully made its first iron ore delivery by an autonomous train. It consisted of three engines that transported 28,000 tonnes of iron ore on 280 km from Tom Price mine to Cape Lambert harbour (Western Australia). The train was monitored and operated remotely at a distance of 1500 km from the Operations Centre in Perth.
The average return distance of these trains is of 800 km, including the loading and unloading activities that take 40 hours. Engines with AutoHaul software are provided with an onboard camera, thus allowing constant monitoring from the operations centre.
This project is part of the AutoHaul programme of the company, amounting to AUD 940 million (USD 679 million), which should be completed by the end of this year. The programme is focused on the activity of automated trains for the transport of iron ore to the company facilities in the harbour of the Pilbara region.
The programme completion will result in the building of the first global network of heavy duty long-distance railway transport that allows autonomous railway operation. The mining company operates 200 engines on a network of 1,700 km of lines in Pilbara, transporting ores from 16 mines to four harbour terminals.
At the beginning of this year, by an agreement executed with the railway infrastructure administrator in the Netherlands, ProRail, and Rotterdam Rail Feeding (RRF – specialized in high quality short line rail services), Alstom announced the testing of an automated freight train in the Netherlands. By testing the Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system in the freight transport, operations of mechanics are automated, while mechanics focuse on supervision issues. Scheduled for this year, tests will be performed with GoA level 2 on the Betuweroute route that is provided with ERTMS, which connects Rotterdam to Germany (Part of Corridor A) by a double 150-km line . The test is designed to provide a live demonstration with an engine that travels in the ATO system from the Rotterdam Harbour district to CUP Valburg, in the Eastern part of the Netherlands. The engine provided by RRF will travel 100 km, without any intervention from any mechanic on the sections provided with ERTMS level 1 and 2. We must note that Alstom provided the ERTMS on Betuweroute 10 years ago. This project will also include tests and automated manoeuvre operations in the CUP Valburg centre.
Automated trains are part of the Alstom innovation strategy in several states and this partnership will contribute to the support of technological evolution of the railway transport and its turning into a digitalised transport system to provide safety and security, enhanced capacity and diminished energy consumption, with high contributions to the decrease of environmental impact.
Considering that at the present moment automated operations and autonomous systems are available on the public transport market with automated and high-performance metro networks and that the new projects rely on these technologies, their implementation in the railway freight sector is getting closer and closer.
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