Can digital enable more sustainable transport?
Is it really so preposterous to say that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies can save our planet?
According to Dominique Desbrugères, Thales’ Marketing and Communications Director, Ground Transportation activity, AI and related digital technologies are becoming a true ‘enabler’ to encourage sustainable mobility and limit negative impact on the environment.
“It’s the decisions we make every day that drive sustainability” she says, “You can build the greenest, most energy-efficient rail network in the world. But you’ve also got to give your customers good reasons to use it. In the case of transport, I believe that AI and digital technologies will improve the reliability, safety and frequency of trains and make rail transport the sustainable choice”.
“You can build the greenest, most energy-efficient rail network in the world. But you’ve also got to give your customers good reasons to use it." Dominique Desbrugères, Thales’ Marketing and Communications Director, Ground Transportation activity
First, making commuters’ journeys easier is the deciding factor for most passengers. From journey planning apps to next-generation Mobility-as-a-Service with integrated ticketing, rail operators need accurate real-time information for the seamless journeys which travellers demand.
That is where Thales’ Mobility Platform comes in to play. It transforms raw operational data into the most useful and predictive insights for both rail operators and passengers. Credit Thales’ expertise in AI, Data Analytics, Connectivity and Cybersecurity for this big boost to improving the passenger experience while increasing the efficiency and reducing operating costs for rail systems.
Improving all aspects of the passenger journey
Punctuality is the number one concern for passengers. Because the most common source of delay is equipment failure, predictive maintenance is revolutionising how rail operators will keep their network working. Combining sensors communicating all along the network with big data and AI, they will be able to predict when track equipment will fail before it happens and plan maintenance in advance, and, as a result, increase network availability as well as passenger satisfaction.
Frequency of trains is also a big factor in a travellers’ choice of transport. Here, the communications-based train control solution SelTrac™ meets the need for fast and frequent services on metro and urban rail networks. On the London Underground, for example, SelTrac™ will play a big part in delivering a 33% increase in peak-hour capacity. No wonder why it’s used on 86 lines in more than 40 major cities around the world.
"I believe that AI and digital technologies will improve the reliability, safety and frequency of trains and make rail transport the sustainable choice” Dominique Desbrugères, Thales’ Marketing and Communications Director, Ground Transportation activity
Consumer choices are also based on their environmental concerns. While rail is a leader in lower emissions and energy efficiency, it also needs to improve its Green performance. Three Thales solutions combine to do that. SelTrac™ reduces a train’s energy consumption by 15% and, on main lines, ARAMIS™ traffic management system is also boosting efficiency. GreenSpeed, Driver Advisory System (DAS), improves punctuality and cuts power consumption by up to eight per cent. In the future, autonomous trains will mean further energy savings on both metro and main lines networks.
Finally, security of people, property and personal data is another big factor in traveller choice. With video analytics, algorithms derived from artificial intelligence systems can detect unusual or threatening situations and alert security personnel. And Thales’ recognised expertise in cybersecurity protects information flowing with both rail operator data and passenger’s personal information.
So digital, with AI in particular in the driver’s seat, becomes a true catalyst to reinvent mobility in a sustainable manner. “And that” says Dominique Desbrugeres, “will be critical to the health of our cities because transport is the urban heartbeat”.
“It’s the decisions we make every day that drive sustainability” Dominique Desbrugères, Thales’ Marketing and Communications Director, Ground Transportation activity