3Squared
Driving the Rail Industry Forward through Innovation
This article first appeared in the Railway-News magazine, Issue 1 2023.
We have seen far more innovation over the past five years within the rail industry than ever before.
From smart ticketing, to digitalisation, to electrification, there has been a significant step-change in the adoption and integration of technology across the sector, and this shows no signs of abating any time soon.
Unsurprisingly, there is clear potential for more. As we shift our focus to 2023, we naturally lean in to exploring what the year ahead can provide in terms of new innovations and technologies, which will drive the industry forward.
Here at 3Squared, we are proud to have played our part in delivering game-changing technological solutions throughout the past twenty years. However, we don’t like standing still and look forward to introducing even more, this year and beyond. So, what needs to be done to create a greener, technologically-enabled railway fit for the future?
Creating a Digitally-Enabled Network
We only need to look at history to see how new ideas and innovations come to life. For example, in the first quarter of the 20th century, the ‘Big Four’ emerged – a term used to describe the four largest UK railway companies (Great Western Railway; London, Midland and Scottish Railway; London and North Eastern Railway; and Southern Railway).
Formed as a result of the Railways Act 1921, the companies were founded to rejuvenate the UK’s rail network at a critical time, when freight and long-distance passenger traffic was a necessity. The Big Four supported the country and helped bring it back to life – they got everything moving in a way not too dissimilar to what we are experiencing now as we emerge from the pandemic and understand passengers’ evolving demands.
What should remain of utmost importance for the industry, and what we pride ourselves on at 3Squared, is the desire for change and making a positive difference. This remains a key ethos within our business and flows through every design decision we make and through every product we create.
