Deepening digitalization and implementing smart rail services.

The crisis unleashed by the pandemic presents an opportunity for the railways of the region to deepen digitization and implement smart railwaysolutions, which would further enhance operational efficiency, lower costs and strengthen the competitiveness of railway transport along the network. 

Digitizing railways in the Asia-Pacific region is fraught with multiple challenges such as the digital divide, fragmented levels of development of railways and concerns about data protection and cyber security. Therefore, harnessing the full potential of the digitization of the region’s railways requires a framework, including the following: (a) a regional consensus on key areas to be digitized along with a path to scaling up; (b) a plan of action to support railways in landlocked and least developed countries to leapfrog to digitization; and (c) a platform for sharing and learning from the experience of railway digitization. 34. To support the railways of the region, the secretariat, under the framework of the above-mentioned project on transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics, has prepared a study on smart railway solutions during the pandemic. The main areas where such solutions have been developed include the following: (a) operations; (b) maintenance; (c) safety and security; (d) rolling stock; (e) border crossings; (f) intermodal linkages; (g) client orientation; and (h) financing. The recommendation of the study and the proposed framework for digitizing railways in the region will be presented to the Working Group at its next meeting, to be held in 2021.