Henkel
The Sustainable High-Speed Future of Rail Travel
Rail transportation has experienced something of a chequered history since famously opening up the American West in the late 1800s. While some economies have embraced rail travel as a central part of their passenger transport infrastructure, others have placed greater emphasis on road and air, or focused rail investment mainly on transporting freight.
The global ambition towards net zero carbon across many regions and industries is driving a renewed focus on rail transportation, and in particular high-speed rail (HSR), with 11,693km of high-speed lines under construction, representing a 25% growth in HSR networks over the next 4–5 years.
HSR is set to play a key role in delivering the sustainable, integrated transportation systems required to meet global climate goals, while helping to satisfy the ever-growing worldwide demand for mobility.
This article considers:
- why HSR is key to sustainable transportation and how this affects the wider rail sector
- the challenges for HSR and how they mirror some of the challenges facing sustainable air transport – weight, propulsion, materials, manufacturing and maintenance
- the importance of innovation in meeting these challenges
- how Henkel’s position as a global leader in materials and adhesives technologies is enabling innovation in sustainable rail transportation, in the same way as it is doing in other sectors
