IEEE Electrification Magazine - March 2020 - 75

Viewpoint

(continued from page 76)

example, the digitized acquisition
of tickets or freight services combined with different means of
transport, including the train. In
the future, mobility platforms must
consider the train as one more service, and for this, the railway will
need to offer its data to these platforms in an open and efficient way.
Smart services in stations and railway logistics terminals are also
lacking, although important digital transformation projects are
being launched.
The third and most disruptive
aspect, that being the frequency
with which employees use digital
resources in their train and infrastructure maintenance and transport terminal operation activity, is
still a pending issue. The reasons
for this are mainly due to the long
lifecycles of existing systems, which
make it difficult to adopt new and
rapidly developed technologies
and the fact that developmental
cycles and approval processes to

Technology Leaders
documents recognized by rail users.
This vision includes
1)	passenger and freight rail service
and urban guided transport
2)	prenormative work that will
provide energy-related marketing studies and eco-labeling
proposals
3)	energy-efficient technology and
strategies from a whole lifecycle
approach.
From the rail sector, we understand that energy is a significant
strategic aspect of the railway system and service. This is an essential

incorporate these new technologies
contribute to improving its overall
are cumbersome.
competitiveness and performance.
The opportunity to accelerate digBut undoubtedly the most significant
itization in this sector can be accomdigital breakthrough and differentiplished by putting
ation will result from
having a digitally en--
the customer's (both
The most significant
abled workforce.
the rail passenger's
digital breakthrough
and rail freight shipBiography
per's) needs first, utiand differentiation will
Antonio Berrios Villalba
lizing the digitization
result from having a
(aberrios@adif.es) is a
skills demonstrated
digitally enabled
graduate in electrical
in the technologiworkforce.
engineering from
cal development of
ETSI Cordoba, Spain,
trains and the traffic
and he received a
management sysbachelor's degree in electronic and
tem, incorporating new and emergautomatic engineering from UNED,
ing digital technologies that offer
Madrid, Spain, and a master's degree
innovations for the rail sector, and
in international strategic managecreating new services and commerment from the UPM Madrid, Spain.
cial business cases. The emergence of
He has worked in the railway sector
innovative data-based services, comsince 1984. He is currently the deputy
bined with advanced artificial intellidirector of strategic innovation in the
gence techniques, the deployment
ADIF (Infrastructure Manager of
of the Internet of Things, robotics,
Spain) and is also the chair of the
autonomous driving, and blockchain,
Energy Sector at the UIC (Railway
offer a wide range of possibilities for
International Organization).
innovation in the railway system and

(continued from page 5)

feature of the future rail sector: the
efficiency of electrical services and
use of resources themselves, braking
energy storage and management, the
use of hydrogen and other power
sources in rail services, and the
smart management of rail energy
resources in the value chain for the
railway operation and services. All
railway stakeholders are involved in
the development of digitalization
and technological innovation. Railway innovation promoters are aware
that standardization processes allow
improvements in market access and

	

provide opportunities to strengthen
the competitiveness for future
mobility according to the Sustainable
Development Goals to improve the
quality of life of citizens.

Biography
Juan de Dios Sanz Bobi (juandedios
.sanz@upm.es) is a professor in the
Mechanical Engineering Department
of the Universidad Politécnica de
Madrid, Spain, and member of the
Scientific Committee of Shift2Rail.


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IEEE Electrification Magazine - March 2020

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