Rail Innovation in Canada - Focus Groups

Transportation 2030: a Strategic Plan for the Future of Transportation in Canada, recognizes five themes to provide direction for future priorities for the Department. One of these priorities includes Green and Innovative Transportation. The Innovation Centre of Transport Canada launched the Rail Innovation Scan to provide the Department with focused avenues of technology investigation, consistent with Green and Innovative Transportation. The Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) conducted the scan. The methodology relied on outputs from five focus group sessions that were conducted across Canada under the following subjects: alternative propulsion, energy efficiency, operational optimization and alternative materials. CUTRIC consulted with more than 220 participants representing dozens of companies and organizations in the rail sector, including academic researchers, rail operators, rail manufacturers, industry experts and government officials. The following “Top 10” list of feasible technology theme areas to build Canada's future rail passenger and freight mobility system were identified: Catenary – free electrification of rail facilities; Hydrail passenger; CNG/Hydrogen to diesel complementation; Hydrail switching yards; 3D printing for rail spare parts; Artificial Intelligence for fleet management; A rail car demonstrator; A propulsion technology simulation tool; Toronto Union station flow and capacity; Rail electrification.

 

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