By Nik Sufini Nik Mohamed (sufini@might.org.my) and Megat Alif Imran Megat Sharifuddin (megatalifimran@might.org.my)
The next time you board a train for an inter-country, intercity or urban commute, think of it as riding an iron horse on a steel track, traversing the concrete jungles or the lush green or yellow-ripening-paddy countryside. Take a few moments to assess the journey – the smoothness of the rolling stock over the rail tracks, the announcements made over the PA system about the upcoming stations, and the almost quiet hum of the ride. As the train glides forward on the ribbons of steel, you may wonder about the technology behind the intricacies of the infrastructure and the engineering systems that provide a smooth and uninterrupted journey.
The Big Picture
Rail transport is like the lifeline of a country, keeping people and goods moving smoothly. Passenger trains, such as high-speed rail, electric trains, commuters and trams, make travel faster, easier and more eco-friendly, helping people get to work, school, or vacations without the stress of traffic jams. At the same time, freight trains quietly do the heavy lifting, transporting raw materials, goods and supplies that keep industries running. Whether carrying people or products, railways are crucial in connecting cities, boosting the economy, and making daily life more convenient. Trains keep the world moving, connecting people and businesses while helping the environment. They support trade, reduce pollution and make supply chains stronger. But for railways to work smoothly, four key parts must come together.
Rail transport achieves maximum efficiency when these four elements come together, delivering seamless mobility for passengers and industries. Together, these elements ensure rail transport remains a reliable and sustainable way to travel and transport goods.
Technological advancements have revolutionised the railway industry, ushering in a new era of safety, reliability and efficiency. The development of autonomous trains, which operate without manual control by integrating the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data and smart sensors, is a significant breakthrough. These technologies work together to optimise train performance, with AI-powered systems analysing vast amounts of data to improve speed, energy efficiency and predictive maintenance. Meanwhile, IoT and smart sensors provide real-time monitoring, ensuring seamless and reliable operation. By reducing human intervention and enhancing precision, autonomous trains are shaping the future of rail transport, making it digital, more sustainable and highly efficient. These technologies are not just trends, but the future of technology in the railway industry.
As railways become more competent with technology like IoT, AI, Big Data and Smart Sensors, keeping them secure is more critical than ever. Just like locking your doors at home to keep intruders out, according to (Kapoor, 2022), cybersecurity protects trains from hackers who could disrupt operations. Railway control systems use security measures like network separation and encrypted communication to prevent cyberattacks. Smart devices and sensors also have built-in protections to stop hackers from tampering with them. AI, which helps with automation and maintenance, needs safeguards to ensure the data it learns from is accurate and secure. Since railways generate vast amounts of data, cloud storage uses encryption, strict access controls and backup plans to keep information safe. With constant monitoring, updates and adherence to international security standards, cybersecurity ensures that trains remain secure, efficient and reliable for the future, providing the audience a sense of reassurance and security.
The Bigger Picture
Rail transport may be utilised for strategic purposes, such as during large-scale exercises or national emergencies. For Poland, this mode of transportation has been identified as having the highest potential among other types of land transport (Piekos, 2022). In crises like war or disaster management, mobilisation activities are performed on the railway tracks.
This is the bigger picture of rail transport, which extends beyond passengers and freight and serves critical roles in military logistics. Railways have long played a crucial role in military logistics, particularly during wartime, due to their ability to efficiently transport large quantities of troops, equipment and supplies over long distances. Historically, rail usage was extensive during the American Civil War, World War I and World War II, which enabled rapid mobilisation and sustained supply lines. In modern warfare, railways remain vital for moving heavy military hardware, such as tanks, artillery and ammunition, especially in large-scale conflicts. The most recent example is the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Both countries rely heavily on rail networks to transport military equipment and troops to the front lines. Both sides had made attempts to damage the rail network, besides taking out power stations. For Russia, the state- owned railways serve as the military’s mode of transport to deploy troops and equipment (Engqvist, 2022). High-level coordination between the Russian Railways and the Armed Forces was established and managed by the Military Communications Service under the Ministry of Defence, and any transportation that came under military purposes is logged into the automated system for transportation. Still, the data is not accessible to the public. This signifies the level of security established for the military to utilise the rail networks. The Military Troops are scattered throughout the country to provide logistics support, including repairs, bridge-building and concealments, plus gathering intelligence information. Besides the railway tracks, the Russians still use outdated armoured trains with multi-pronged purposes, including acting as a command- and-control centre, other than transporting troops and equipment through contested areas. Why was state- of-the-art technology not leveraged? This move can be understood from the reports of increasing cyberattacks on railway systems, where over the last five years, the attacks have increased by 200%.
Railways continue to be a cornerstone of military strategy, offering unmatched capacity and reliability for large-scale logistical operations during the war. However, the above occurrences demonstrate that rail is vulnerable to external forces from enemies. The military lacks dedicated railway lines, relying on existing networks for critical logistics planning and execution. If the current operations over the network utilise state-of-the-art technology, how can logistics operations be carried out clandestinely? The answer lies in controlling the technology and disabling it when required. As an example, when it comes to military movement using existing rail networks that rely on cloud and AI technologies, there are a few ways that clandestine operations can be carried out despite the integration of modern tech:
The Ultimate Picture
In the big picture, rail serves passengers and freight, and new networks are being built to meet the ever-increasing demands. While funds and talents are required to support rail services, technologies continually improve to provide better travel and transport experiences.
In the bigger picture, rail is a strategic infrastructure used as a transport medium in critical times such as war. Technology is tailored to the needs and protection of the railway as a strategic infrastructure.
The ultimate picture is that while technology improves with advanced AI and cloud technologies, military forces can employ a combination of encryption, cyber tactics, counterintelligence and non-digital methods to move clandestinely on existing rail networks. These techniques allow the military to evade detection, whether it is through manipulating the technology or bypassing it altogether.
The ability to deploy technology in the big picture and disable it in the bigger picture gives us the ultimate and true meaning of sovereignty in rail. Such is how the rail industry achieves a sovereign future by navigating technology with precision and intelligence. Perhaps with this in mind, we will be more appreciative of our next ride on the iron horse, across those steel tracks, to our destination of choice.
