Raising the Capability of Main-Line Railways: Thoughts on Further Development.

The further development of long-distance track-bound transport wwill be determined by demands for maximum economic efficiency and higher speeds for passenger and freight services. Economic efficiency can be improved by employing diesel or electric traction in place of steam locomotives and by introducing automatic control. Higher speeds could be achieved initially by raising the speed of conventional wheel/rail systems to their physical limit. Parallel to this, new systems of suspension, guidance and propulsion should be developed for even higher speeds. These would then be able to provide a valuable addition to conventional rail systems.