Last week, we held our latest NUMA Industry Panel to discuss the impact of new technologies on the development of the rail and mobility sector. Moderated by Mina Salib from Fleeting, we were honored to welcome Udi Sharir, CEO of Save A Train, as well as industry leaders such as Judith Apshago from Amtrak and Joffrey Lauthier from Humatics. We discussed the key challenges and opportunities facing the rail industry, and how technological innovation can be harnessed to ensure its resilience and growth. Here are four key points that emerged from the discussion:

The rail industry continues to progress thanks to the adoption of new technologies

Before the global pandemic, the rail industry was enjoying relatively prosperous times. However, the sudden collapse in ridership and abrupt interruptions to operations were major blows. Judith, Assistant Vice President of IT at Amtrak, highlighted three main areas where Amtrak focused to improve during these difficult times: 

• the rapid transition to remote working for employees ;
• implementing improvements in the customer experience, notably through contactless technology and sales operations;
• continuous adaptation of operations to the latest technological solutions available.

The challenges faced by rail industry leaders have created new opportunities for innovation

Prior to the pandemic, the rail industry was experimenting with technological advances such as mobile ticketing, contactless sales solutions and new, improved cleaning protocols. Today, these innovations have become essential to maintain competitiveness and attract passengers. This necessity creates fertile ground for startups such as Save A Train in the US market, and testifies to a global acceleration of digitization in the rail sector.

Consumers express growing need for digitalization

As Udi points out, to ease the transition to a new normal, companies need to invest heavily in digital technologies to enhance the customer experience. It is imperative to use modern technological solutions to accelerate change and evolve the global passenger platform, particularly in response to growing environmental awareness, especially among Millennials and Generation Z.

Improvements in data analysis are key to increasing operational efficiency

The rail industry, like other sectors, is turning to real-time data analysis and consumer information for faster, more accurate decisions. Joffrey, Sales Director at Humatics, stressed the importance of other forms of automation, such as the development of driverless railcars, in maintaining competitiveness.

We'd like to thank our moderator, Mina Salib, and our speakers, Judith, Udi and Joffrey, for their enlightening contributions on the future of rail! For more information on Save A Train, please visit their website. Numa New York, a startup gas pedal based in New York City, helps early-stage international B2B startups establish themselves in the US market. To find out more, visit their website.