The future of railways through planning and flexibility
Nuria Gorrite, State Councillor (VD) and Vincent Kaufmann, professor at EPFL. ©Alain Herzog
Decision-makers, academics and professionals from the railway and mobility sectors gathered at EPFL on 7 and 8 September to discuss the future of the rail system.
The rail sector is being buffeted by rapid and extensive changes. The overall cost of railway systems is rising yet cannot simply be passed along to users or financing institutions. Alternative means of transport such as carsharing, long-distance bus services and budget airlines are more demand-sensitive and are now competitive in areas where railways once had a distinct advantage.
This is the backdrop against which over 230 people – decision-makers, academics and professionals in the railway and mobility sectors – attended the nextRail17 International Rail and Mobility Conference at EPFL from 7 to 9 September. The conference was jointly organized by EPFL's Laboratory of Urban Sociology (LaSUR), the EPFL Transportation Center, SMA and OpenTrack.
Five challenges
The plenary sessions on the first day focused on the challenges inherent in combining flexibility and planning in tomorrow’s rail system. LaSUR Director Vincent Kaufmann summarized five key challenges identified in the discussions:
- Remembering that the future of mobility will not necessarily be a continuation of current trends. Mobility is affected by numerous factors outside the transport sector, including economic and population growth, the aging of the population and lifestyle changes.
- Moving from a predefined, point-to-point public transport system to a more comprehensive, door-to-door service. This shift will affect tickets, timetables and train routes, not to mention partnerships within the transport sector. Railway companies will need to coordinate with other modes of transport, such as carpooling and carsharing, to provide full and timely coverage of a given region.
- Simplifying rail service while still meeting users' needs. To escape the cycle of rising costs, we will need to maximize the railway system's efficiency and profitability by making the system simpler, while still offering high-quality services that meet clients' needs.
- Combining technology from different generations. One way to simplify the railway system is through automation, but this will entail developing and using hybrid systems. Ambitious research projects will be required if we are to come up with innovative ways of using automation in railways.
- Engaging with the political world through a forward-looking approach. The future of the railway system will depend largely on the attitude public officials have towards it. Already, the shift in expectations from speed towards comfort, an aging population and a growing disaffection for cars among young people are changes that railway companies should respond to with their own innovations and tailor-made products.
The second day of nextRail17 featured a series of seminars on innovative approaches and international best practices, with a focus on the advantages and opportunities for railways in future mobility. On the final day of the conference, participants went on an excursion to learn more about the technical aspects of major urban and railway projects currently under way in the Lake Geneva region. These included the CEVA circular rail line in Geneva, Lausanne's new train station under the Léman 2030 railway project, and several mobility projects run by Lausanne’s public transport company.