Научен доклад ID 2175 : 2021/2

Since the 1990s, digitalization has been advancing at speed across all industrial sectors, public entities, and society at large, and railways are no exception. Digital technologies already govern rail customer”s expectations, ticket reservation and purchasing habits, operator”s information, and payments systems, but experts believe these technologies have much more to offer the sector. Digitalization is key to industry competitiveness and has therefore become an EU priority. Rail companies have already implemented a vast array of new services and applications using digital technologies, be it for providing more information and leisure services on board, improving the monitoring of their assets, or automating more operations. The changes introduced by digitalization in rail transport are perceived by many stakeholders as an opportunity – owing to the benefits it can offer – but also as a challenge. Indeed, it will a change of mindsets and business models. Rail digitalization will also financial investment and a strategy to tackle cyber threats. Addressing these challenges will allow digitalization to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the railway sector.