Rail Live 2022 in Malaga was brimming with hope for more innovative railway solutions globally, with Spain leading the way.
Looking back at the conference held in Malaga, the event attracted some of the biggest names in the rail industry, brought together key players from all areas of the rail industry, and highlighted the progress Spain is making in futureproofing its railways.
We attended many brilliant talks, which covered various aspects of the railway sector and its future challenges. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what we discovered and what’s needed for further progress.
Are we finally seeing the industry on the cusp of change?
The opening speech was delivered by the Minister for Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, who set a strikingly positive tone for the event. Rather than focus on austerity measures – which we’ve heard so much of over the past few years – Sánchez delivered a hopeful message for the future of rail.
We heard interesting talks from Renfe and Adif on the topics of innovation and strategy, including the use of fibre optics and satellite to detect defects on railways, and the use of AI to predict and quickly resolve issues.
“The speeches gave a sense that people are recognising it’s time to change; to stop thinking and start doing.” Simon Holmes, Managing Director, evo-rail said.
“We know that Covid is still casting a shadow. There has been lots of strategising and thinking about how to futureproof the railways. But there’s also a lot of uncertainty; therefore, until now, we’ve not seen change happen at the pace needed to match passenger demand. It’s fantastic that we’re seeing a shift where people are beginning to invest in change.
We’ve experienced first-hand how Spain is utilising new technologies and investing in innovation and development. COMSA has invested in our super-fast Wi-Fi solution. We have installed rail-5G on one of the lines, which is working with good results and next year, we’ll deploy to a high-speed line.”
Sustainability is a priority
Sánchez also highlighted train travel as one of the most powerful tools for the decarbonisation of transport and the reduction of emissions. Both the development of the railway network and innovation are fundamental to encouraging more people to travel by train.
Spain’s commitment to improving the railways includes a high-speed network connecting 70% of the Spanish population. Plus, there are further plans to make the railway more accessible to everyone with better infrastructure, services and policies.
This investment demonstrates Spain’s commitment to offering passengers more options and competitive prices, which, alongside improving the quality of the service, is fundamental in creating a modal shift.
This progress is impressive, but to generate a significant shift, we must make rail the most attractive form of travel for our passengers. Alongside seating, cleanliness, and waiting area facilities, fast and reliable Wi-Fi services contribute to passengers’ overall comfort and journey experience. Our survey found that 39% of UK passengers and 67% of rail passengers in Spain would be more likely to take travel by train if they had access to fast, reliable, free onboard Wi-Fi.
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Cut carbon and costs
It was clear at Rail Live that sustainability and net zero are on everyone’s agenda, but often this comes second place to other factors including perceived cost and convenience.
rail-5G can be delivered as a carbon-neutral solution, helping you to work towards your net zero targets and it costs just a tenth of mobile data to run. Our experts are with you every step and can support with flexible commercial models made to match your needs. Plus, there are opportunities for you to commercialise any additional bandwidth too.
We all know we can do more to slow down the increasing damage to our planet. At Innotrans 2022, there was an awareness and good intentions for net zero, but we didn’t see a strong focus on climate friendly transport solutions.
Read more about rail transport and climate change in this article.
Smart future proofing
Spain’s investment in its railways extends beyond completing the railway network and improving the existing infrastructure. The Ministry is tackling challenges head-on by digitising the transport chain with a new digital platform for transporting goods and exchanging real-time data, streamlining processes.
Still, future proofing the railways requires a 360 approach, encompassing the passenger experience, rail operations and creating new commercial opportunities with connectivity that meets demand.
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Maintaining momentum
Though it was refreshing to hear about Spain’s positive attitudes and progress, we must acknowledge that many barriers to change still exist. Budget constraints, links to mobile providers, and a hesitancy to try something different might be some of the reasons you’ve held back from taking the next step. If you think it’s time to transform your onboard Wi-Fi, and want to reap the benefits of operational improvements and transforming your passenger experience, we’re ready when you are.
Get in touch to learn more about rail-5G or request a demo.