Asia-Pacific Railway Innovations Forum

21-24 May 2019, Manilla, Philippines

The Asia-Pacific Railway Innovations Forum, jointly organized by UIC and ADB (Asian Development Bank), will discuss the future of railway systems in developing Asia and the Pacific with respect to the new and disruptive technologies of the Fourth Industrial or “Digital” Revolution.

The level of railway technology varies greatly throughout developing Asia and the Pacific, but is often ancient in terms of railway infrastructures, systems, and rolling stock. New technologies in the digital sphere, from control systems to data gathering, create an immense opportunity, but at the same time the agony of choice as countries must sort and prioritize which technologies are the most appropriate in their specific, national case.

This forum aims to bring together key decision makers, members of the railway industry, specialists and experts to discuss current solutions, alternatives and future trends in applied rail sector technologies.

Objectives

The event hopes to address a number of key questions about the future of railway through lectures, discussion sessions, and knowledge sharing. Some key questions are:

Which railway system technologies and technology levels are economical and financial sustainable for system specific operation requirements and an expected traffic demand;
Which of the new disruptive technologies are possible and the best solution for their specific and unique urban or national railway development plans;
Will an investment in common railway systems be sustainable and advisable, or would it be more appropriate to skip high capital investments in potentially soon outdated technologies;
Which technical opportunities will safeguard a sustainable high performance and quality of railway services;
Which performance incentives schemes are best suited for a private sector involvement, in consideration of the complexity of maintaining and operating railways.