Intelligent Train on Intelligent Track
Masanori OZEKI

President, Railway Technical Research Institute


   Railways have been in service for more than 150 years in the world and over
120 years in Japan.
   During the course of this 120 years of railway history in Japan,
technological emphasis has shifted from civil engineering to mechanical, from
mechanical to electric, then to information system and most recently to 
environmental engineering. Railways are now going into the era of high
technologies.
   In Japan, for the first 50 years of railway development most of
technological needs were in civil engineering to excavate tunnels, build
bridges and construct roadbeds.
   For rolling stocks, Japan was far behind Europe and the US and therefore
until about 80 years ago, we had to import rolling stocks from abroad except
freight cars. It was approximately 25-30 years ago when Japan finally caught
up wiht these advanced countries and started indigenous production of rolling
stocks. Thus mechanical engineering played the most important role in the era
of steam locomotive.
   Then came the World War II. As Japan was defeated, its railways had been 
seriously damaged. However, as Japan recovers form the aftermath of the War,
railways started not only to return to their pre-war level of operations but
also to be modernised with the advent of energy revolution.
   During the 25 years period after the War, more and more rail lines were
electrified and further steam locomotives were replaced with diesel/electric
locomotives and cars. We consider this post war period and era of electric 
engineering. 
   After the era of electrification, railways entered into the next phase of
information systems engineering. During this period of technological
advancement, high speed train system called Shinkansen was inaugurated in
Japan, followed by other high speed train systems in Europe. Though rail
industries took the initiative in the introduction of information systems and
led other industries, they were rather slow in its full utilisation, and soon
lagged behind other industries.
   In the mean while, certain rail transport had been taken over by air and
highways, however, it became clear that highways or air alone cannot cope
with ever-increasing traffic demands. However superb the highways become, 
traffic jam still cannot be eliminated. Likewise, whatever large airports are
constructed, their capacities soon become saturated. Therefore proper
combination of the three modes of transportation became important. High-speed 
operation made passenger rail travel more attractive and convenient not only
in Japan but also in Europe as symbolised by the term "reinstatement of 
railways."
   Of course, electrification and computerised train control systems were
indispensable for the reinstatement.
   Currently, one of the global environmental concerns is carbon dioxide
emission from use of fossil fuels. Rail is the cleanest means of
transportation, however, is associated with other environmental issues of 
noise and vibration. Japan is most advanced in R&D on their noise and
vibration problems. Perhaps, one idea to solve noise problem is to run
railways underground in the future.
   We are now in a new railway age, where reinstatement is becoming a reality.
Cost saving is getting even more important for raiwlay industries. Efficient
use of rolling stocks and tracks to increase availability is certainly
required to abate cost. To optimise the existing infrastructure for
higher-speed train operation, a new version of train control system is
required. This will also help increase safety. Certain technologies that are
already used by air lines must be introduced to railways. If they can do it,
why can't we do it also?
   As Dr. Korpanec, Director of ERRI puts it, a future course of railway is
an introduction of "intelligent trains on intelligent tracks". Certainly I
share his view, and strongly believe that railways in the future will be even
safer and cost effective.