Introduction
Even though the transportation industry
accounts for one quarter of all global emissions,
less than 1% are from rail. And while the global
rail industry moves billions of passengers
and ships billions of tons of cargo every year,
rail passenger travel produces, on average,
170% less carbon dioxide compared to car and
air travel. For freight transport, rail produces
91% less CO
2
than long-haul trucking and
185% less CO
2
than air shipment.
This wave of demand and the clear benefits
of more sustainable transportation highlights
the need for upgrades, expansions and
improvements like digitization. Recent
examples of needed investment include
France's commitment of €100 billion in railway
infrastructure by 2040, the UK government
aiming to grow rail freight by 75% by 2050 and
the US Department of Transportation's plan to
give $8.2 billion in grants for high-speed rail and
pipeline projects.
With investment comes construction, and a
key element in ensuring the safety of rail traffic
during the construction phase is knowing with
certainty how the rail infrastructure behaves.
Undertaking a rail monitoring project can be
complex, with quite a few factors to consider
before beginning.
However, with a streamlined approach, rail
surveyors and contractors can save significant
time and resources—while getting the right
data to the right people at the right time.
These five tips from surveyors in the field will
ensure you can overcome the challenge of rail
monitoring with confidence.
Rail passenger
travel produces,
on average,
170% less
carbon dioxide
compared to car
and air travel.
As the demand for carbon‑neutral
transportation rises, both
passenger and freight rail traffic
is growing significantly.
High-speed rail networks
increased the length of
operational lines by more than
40% between 2020 and 2022,
going from 44,000 kilometers
(27,340 miles) to around
59,000 kilometers
(36,661 miles), according
to the International
Union of Railways.
5 ways to keep rail monitoring projects on track 2
