As more and more countries see investment in rail as a key solution to achieving their net zero goals, leaders across the rail sector are tuning to digital solutions to meet the challenges they face.
A new report highlights how digital technologies will be key to increasing resilience and overcoming key challenges in the rail sector as industry leaders plan for the future and face issues such as talent shortages, decarbonisation, crumbling infrastructure and data management of complex projects.
To learn more about how rail organisations are tackling some of these challenges, software corporation Autodesk interviewed 30 rail industry leaders and experts from across the globe and together with insights gathered from Autodesk’s 2024 State of Design & Make report, their new Spotlight on Rail report highlights the actions leaders are taking to prepare for the future via digital transformation.
With global demand for rail growing fast and passenger and freight activity set to more than double by 2050, many countries are seeing rail as a key solution to achieving their net zero goals in the face of a projected global population growth of nearly two billion in the next 30 years. Rail can provide large urban communities with safe, easy transportation that they’re already familiar with, all while involving up to 80% lower carbon emissions than flying.
Investments are already reflecting this shift to rail. Governments around the world are planning to create new networks and update historic lines to better support modern society’s needs. The US government has announced $1.4bn in infrastructure funding for 70 rail improvement projects, India’s government has announced $32.7bn for rail in its national budget and the EU has made €25.8bn available for grants to co-fund projects, including high-speed railways across member states.
For companies in the rail industry, this means that the pipeline of work is going to be healthier than ever, however a shortage of skilled talent means that there is a major need for better workflows and methods to deliver the growing number of projects efficiently. And the answer to many of those challenges is a digital one.
As the demand for projects grows, digital transformation will be key to helping organisations maintain and modernise rail networks while building in a sustainable way. Autodesk’s Spotlight on Rail report illustrates how the rail industry can navigate some of the toughest challenges it faces by canvassing the views of leaders and experts in the sector. The report is well worth a read and details many of the actions being taken by rail industry organisations to prepare for the future via digital transformation.
