Today IBM opened a worldwide rail innovation center in Beijing, China. We’re excited because it’s the first time rail companies, universities, government leaders and a wide range of rail experts are gathering to figure out what it will take to bring the best rail systems to every country in the world. Below is a short video describing some of the efforts:
Already members include Tsinghua University, Michigan Technological University, Professor Joseph M. Sussman of MIT, Railinc, RMI, Motorola, Sabre, the California High Speed Rail Authority, and Olivier G. Maurel, CIO of ILOG (an IBM company) and former CIO of SNCF in France.
The kinds of things we’ll work on are advanced data analytics for scheduling and predictive maintenance, cell phone enabled passenger service, wireless sensors on bearings and axles, digital video systems that ensure a clear track ahead and automatically respond to danger — to create rail systems that will support economic vitality, improved quality of life through reduced road congestion, and environmental sustainability.
The idea is when the best minds get together, everyone benefits. That means better, faster on-time performance, far more efficient scheduling, maximized equipment usage and fewer vehicles congesting cities.
Think about this: A single freight train on a track can replace 280 trucks on a road, reducing fuel use, congestion and emissions. And considering every year nine billion gallons of fuel is wasted in traffic congestion we need all the help we can get.
Here’s to breathing easier, relaxing more and getting from city center to city center in the most efficient way possible.
Keith Dierkx is the director of the new IBM Global Rail Innovation Center in Beijing
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[...] management software to China’s rail networks, moved to take its piece with the launch of its Global Rail Innovation Center on Thursday in Beijing. IBM says the center’s goal is to bring together experts from all over [...]
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[...] paste in most of the accompanying text below, from the Smarter Planet website. What is interesting, from a GlobalHigherEd perspective, is the nature of the array of [...]
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4:26 am
Dear Director Keith Dierkx(邓思凯先生)
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010-63323875
13651103781
I 100% sure we will be best friends if we get chance.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes.
Sincerely yours
Snow Xu Xiaohui
Posted by: Snow Xu Xiaohui