The future of mobility in Europe

摘要

The mobility of tomorrow requires a multimodal approach to transport. Whether pertaining to passengers or freight transport, door-to-door mobility is no longer based on a single mode of transport. This new "multimodal" mobility requires multiple connections between the different modes of transport, which involves greater flexibility and resilience in day-today operations. Delays within multimodal journeys can easily be passed on to other means of transport, especially if a large number of connections is available. A driver or on-board staff can directly intervene in any emergencies and rectify any disruptions, although their mission planning constitutes a challenge in operations. On-board personnel management is a difficult task that has to consider the constraints of personnel fatigue which are subject to strict rules pertaining to shift duration and required breaks. The management of ground staff is easier in this sense, because the teams can be replaced as needed. Conversely, the deployment of on-board personnel cannot always be guaranteed, because it depends on the real-time traffic situation. Team replacement is therefore much more complex to manage. It is probably for this reason that most transport sectors are moving towards automation by focusing on autonomous vehicles. When considering these difficulties, the future with Automatic Train Operations (ATO) seems all the more tempting (...). Short headways, eco-friendly systems, connected services and no more delays or waiting times. All at fair prices for customers and easy to plan and control for transport companies. ATO can ultimately help overcome the constraints of railways and transform them into the smoothest, greenest and most comfortable means of transportation.