Trends and outlook in research and development activities relating to train operation management and transport planning & marketing

Abstract

The railway sector is facing major changes due to declining birthrates, an aging society, the intensification of meteorological disasters, and the need to further reduce CO2 emissions. The spread of COVID-19 since 2020, has had a major impact on the railway business, leading to an urgent need to respond to the drastic changes in demand for mobility in society. Until now, the Signal and Transport Information Technology Division has focused on research and development to further improve the safety and convenience of train operations and reduce the cost and burden of operations related to train operation management. Now, it is necessary to extend research and development to take into account the consequences of COVID-19 by, for example, speeding up our R&D. This paper introduces the purpose and goals of R & D undertaken by the Transport Operation Systems Lab and the Transport Planning and Marketing Lab in FY2020. This paper also describes the R&D concepts and policies for responding to a post-COVID-19 environment.