April 19, 2023 •Déborah
It's no secret that the last few years have witnessed the digitization of almost all of our activities. On a personal level, there is no denying that digitization of our data has taken a primordial place (do you still develop your photos?). The professional sector, meanwhile, is not immune to the digital trend either. Today many tasks are performed digitally - data storage in the cloud, shared files on the drive, software in SaaS mode, videoconferencing are essential for all businesses!
Among all these sectors that are leaning towards digitalization, we can highlight the railway sector. Indeed, if there is a market that is tending towards the digitization of its activities, it is this one. According to the study conducted by Markets and Markets, it is a market which represented around 63 billion dollars in 2022 against more than 100 billion expected for 2027. A forecast increase of not far from 10%, in other words, exponential. But then how can such a transformation of this market be explained? There are two main factors…
- An increase in the number of users
It seems that this digitization of the rail market can be explained by several aspects. First, the growing market demand. Indeed, we expect more and more users of our railways. Whether for demographic reasons or ecological awareness, users are becoming more and more numerous! Thus, in order to guarantee the quality and efficiency of transport for passengers, rail operators need efficient and reliable digital solutions. According to this same study, the European market and the Asian market seem to be the most affected by this increase in the number of users…
- The evolution of rail infrastructure
At the same time, the development and modernization of the rail sector is once again pushing its operators towards digitization. Demand is turning to safer, faster and more efficient rail. This is why the use of digital or even automatic solutions to improve the railway system is increasingly requested by professionals in the railway sector.
What solutions to propose?
In order to meet all these needs, the digitization and automation of activities around the railway sector are essential. This digitization makes it possible to carry out the maintenance and management of trains virtually but also brings a new experience to users such as the possibility of online purchases, reservation tracking, etc. Thus, rail operators are turning to technologies and software that allow them to improve their performance and results. As an example of these technologies, we can mention the deployment of LiDAR technology in this sector. LiDAR makes it possible to create a digital twin in order to optimize the management and maintenance of the network. Thus, software for processing this LiDAR data is then necessary for railway operators and professionals. Among these software, we can mention the various solutions for automated processing of 3D LiDAR data from The Cross Product (TCP), such as Automated Clash Detection (study of railway gauge and to study the risks of collisions) Automated Classification (automatic classification of the point cloud) or Automated Vectorization (automatic vectorization of the point cloud). These innovative automatic processing solutions thus facilitate the procedures of railway professionals by allowing them to take advantage of LiDAR technology thanks to a turnkey solution. A mere internet connection and cloud access make their use possible. In a word, an ever more developed railway digitization thanks to these automatic solutions!
Finally, if there is one thing to remember from this evolution of the railway sector, it is of course the growth of digitalization. This digitization allows the sector to develop, evolve, improve and facilitate the activities of professionals. Once again, technology is at the service of safety, innovation and development!
Sources:
https://info.vercator.com/blog/point-cloud-classification-for-rail-asset-management
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/digital-railway-market-206122052.html