Viewpoint
Prof Andrew McNaughton, HS2’s chief engineer, gave us his vision for the future of Britain’s railways ahead of his IET lecture in late September
Outside of commuting, the vast majority of people in Britain today don’t use the railway that often. ‘Is it the transport of last resort or the transport of choice?’ is a wonderful phrase that is often used, and looking at the results of PwC’s most recent consumer survey, the answer is ‘last resort’.
According to the survey, published last year, most people predominantly drive themselves to work. And if money was no object most people would still choose to go by car — either driving themselves or being chauffeur driven. Nevertheless, demand on Britain’s major rail networks is forecast to increase significantly and it’s essential that a network transformation occurs in order to cope with this demand. By 2030, overall volumes are expected to be around 120 per cent of current levels, growing at a rate of 3.3 per cent year-on-year. From a passenger perspective, numbers have increased at a faster pace than expected and they continue to rise.
”Most people predominantly drive themselves to work. And if money was no object most people would still choose to go by car
Extensive research has been conducted globally attempting to gauge exactly what it is that freight users and passengers will need from and expect of railway systems
in the future. All conclude that the ideal system would be easy, convenient and utterly reliable, dependable and secure.
Mind the gap
The significant gaps that exist between customer expectations and service delivery must be eliminated. Ideally, I want those choosing rail to feel as in control of their journey as if they were driving their car.
In my IET lecture I will be discussing how future station and rail system design should ensure that passengers do not need to wait on the platform for their train. The aim is to provide an informed and high-quality service such that passengers are confident they can arrive at the station five minutes before the train is due. Should they have a problem and miss their train, they automatically have a reserved seat on the next one.
For freight, delivering the railway system of the future effectively comes down to providing the same type of experience. Because freight is about logistics, and at
its essence, people are self-loading freight. So the core concepts still apply: easy, convenient, and utterly reliable, dependable, and secure.
Global view
Last year, the Central Japan Railway Company introduced its N700 Advanced high-speed train, which included a form of automatic train operation allowing the network control system to manage the trains’ progress even more accurately through a journey than their legendary drivers. Passengers may not notice the additional punctuality given the already high performance, but the prize is an extra train path every hour on an intensively used corridor, made possible by the reduction in allowance necessary for minor perturbations at key junctions.
A simpler form of this technology can be seen in the development of driver advisory systems — non-safety-critical supplements to conventional control that guide the speed of trains approaching key junctions so that they arrive when signals are clear to proceed. Reducing ‘stop-start’ driving not only improves punctuality and potential capacity at vital pinch points — it can pay for itself in reduction traction energy and brake wear, which is why the idea is being pursued so enthusiastically on the heavy freight networks across North America.
Best railway in the world?
When it comes to choosing the ‘best railway in the world’, the heavy haul railways of the Pilbara region of Western Australia lay claim to this title. They are operated to achieve a single business purpose of conveying huge quantities of iron ore from inland mines to coastal ports. The railway is considered as an integrated engineering system and every aspect is continuously improved within a total model that values infrastructure, rolling stock and control system together. The result is a totally reliable, profitable, just-in-time operation carrying 200Mt each year in some of the most inhospitable territory imaginable.
I want my IET lecture to inspire Britain’s engineers to help develop a control system that integrates all of the necessary elements and provides the engineering backbone of a future railway system that delivers the best possible passenger and freight experience.
With Britain’s engineering heritage there is no reason why it should not once again have the best rail network in the world.
‘Britain’s Rail Future — User Focused, Technology Driven and Engineering Led’ is this year’s IET Sir Henry Royce Memorial Lecture. It was delivered by Prof Andrew McNaughton on 25 September 2014 at the Royal Institution, London, UK. For more information please use this link.
Prof Andrew McNaughton FREng is chief engineer and technical director for HS2
Look at what low cost airlines have done to see what we want from transport, and what we will give up to get it. I think you’re barking up entirely the wrong tree.
I think for great swaithes of the country rail is not a “last resort” it is not a resort at all. Even for those who have a high-speed line going past them, then, if it is not accessible it does not matter (and many places do not have any lines). Such people get not benefits whatsoever – and so NEED cars and lorries. The network is only being developed to improve what exists- rather than tackling transport infra-structure problems. New high speed trains – are good for taking technology further but there are great challenges (and more important ones) in making railways a resort for everyone; please think about tackling these.
The basic idea that car use will increase fails to take account of the next generation which are being put off driving due to congestion, cost of ownership and availability of parking in cities.
Regarding rail innovation, HS2 should be using nothing less than Hyperloop technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperloop) and therefore if the Chief Engineer is advocating anything less they are hardly qualified to talk on rail’s future in general.
Though I don’t necessarily agree with J. Johnston I agree with the principle. We are building a £40-70bn network on fundamentally 19thC technology.
And although I believe we need a new network to ease pressure elsewhere and permit the development of existing lines I am inclined to believe that we are avoiding the real point of contention, the final miles.
In the end, what restricts travel isn’t the 1.5 hours on a fast train, which can be used productively, but the hour travelling to and from the railway station in the first place, which is almost entirely unproductive.
It is the inter and intra urban transport solutions in this country which truly hold it back and the nettle we have repeatedly refused to grasp. HS2 is comparatively easy and although useful it will not deliver the productivity leap and rise in living standards for all that could have been achieved by tackling local transport solutions.
At the end of the day, this project will really only benefit those living near the large cities who need to travel between the regions often. That’s hardly a majority of people.
Rail transport is not an option for great swathes of the population thanks to earlier report “The Reshaping of British Railways”. This removed the feeder lines that could have been very effective today using “Tram” technology. Nath highlights this point and this is what should be addressed.
Looking at other railway systems is OK for general ideas but the UK has a unique set of problems. Firstly how do we get more trains on the tracks? With the current set up where rail track operators and other interested parties bickering away, we need a cohesive system that encompasses the transport systems as a whole. The problem is to get more trains running at peak times and the goods trains off the main line tracks. More containers on the trains will free up the roads, but the containers have the reverse problem of the passengers, getting the load to the customer. Imagine if all the supermarkets sent their loads out in containers, on trains, and they were unloaded locally, ( a simple lift unit to move the container onto wheels). Would this be the incentive to promote goods services? Tunnels should be considered for goods services. No passengers to grumble about there being “no view”
None of this is “new” or “revolutionary “ technology. The Great Western railway had a complete goods linked collection and delivery service in the 1800’s. A bus service was started in 1903. Also take note that “Crossrail”, a result of yet another report “Central London Rail Study” (1989) was in fact proposed slightly earlier by a forward thinking railway man, in 1943
Prof McNaughton comments on two trains that have no place in the UK. High speed systems are not required. The current 125 technology is adequate for this small island. Why lumber ourselves with technology, all of which will be purchased outside the UK when we should be investing in more rails. The “Best Railway in the world” is great at what it does, moving massive volumes of iron ore. Not really required here!!