Partners at Arthur D Little explore the key challenges for urban railways. They identify that in the past metro systems were built simply to be fit for purpose with sufficient capacity, but today it is more about optimisation and achieving a balance between the needs of customers and stakeholders. They say “it means being much more explicit about trade-offs between meeting ever-increasing expectations and providing a cost-effective metro railway”. Importantly, they say that planning systems for the future requires closely coordinated and integrated action from stakeholders, including transport authorities, planning authorities, transport providers, telecoms providers, utility/infrastructure companies, property developers, retailers and business. “A strategic approach is needed which takes into account both transport demand and transport supply”.
- We've read it in: Railway Strategies, Issue 128 (April 2016), page 14