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Alstom
However , Peter is quick to highlight that although rail still plays a significant role in the UK ’ s public transport infrastructure , consumer use and behavior has changed in recent years . “ Private operators have had to change their strategy to meet evolving consumer demand ,” he elaborates . “ Firstly , franchise contracts became more onerous and secondly , the pandemic changed the way people travel . People ’ s working patterns have changed due to remote working and the weekends have suddenly become much busier .
“ From a supplier perspective , you must adapt the maintenance schedule to ensure any required services occur during nonpeak times , meaning the dynamic fluctuates with outsourcing and taking procurement in house . Of course , we rely on partners to outsource their maintenance to us and we ’ re currently seeing a debate on which option provides the best value for money .
“ Historically , the rail industry is notoriously cyclic , especially in terms of manufacturing . To mitigate this issue , we ’ re not only focusing on being cost-effective , but also driving the quality side , providing customers with greater service and an elevated level of quality . This
reassures customers , knowing that when they work with us , they will receive the highest quality products and services .”
Sustainable solutions
Turning to sustainability , Peter continues : “ While we have hydrogen-powered fleets in some countries , there are still many diesel trains that will continue to operate , and we must figure out how to operate them more effectively and efficiently . We ’ ve implemented a system called intelligent engine shutdown , for instance , which has GPS trackers to automatically switch the engine off in certain conditions to save fuel and consequently reduce emissions .
“ The other option is to install batteries , but we ’ re also developing a new hybrid electric and battery train , which we are introducing into Ireland next year . These trains draw power from overhead electric wires but are capable of switching to a battery when running on non-electrified lines . The ultimate goal is to have trains that don ’ t burn any fossil fuels and promote circular economies running across the UK . However , sustainable solutions aren ’ t cheap and so there ’ s often a personal or professional motivation behind investing in sustainability .”
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