Robert Paulsen’s Post

Just got back from the beautiful Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) Summer Meeting 2024 in Wisconsin! Over 470 rail industry professionals attended including shippers, railroads, and vendors. Here are my key takeaways from the business meetings: Innovation Climate change commitments are now becoming a reality. CPKC has made progress on a hydrogen-powered freight locomotive that is currently operating local moves. Their end goal is to develop North America's first line-haul, zero-emission, hydrogen-powered freight locomotive. Telematics and GPS 1. Continuing to be a topic of conversation at rail industry events. Adoption is still a significant headwind. 2. Retrofitting the existing fleet is expensive and opportunistic - as opposed to proactive in other industries. Physical installation of the devices will take time. 3. The ROI is long-term and the cost of adoption falls to the equipment owner/manufacturer. These companies must be willing to justify the investment via long-term benefits. 4. Adoption resistance is real - change is historically difficult in the rail industry. The Telematics Good News 1. Consumer demand will continue to drive innovation. 2. TransmetriQ - A Railinc Brand ingests this data, enhancing our current comprehensive rail event data coverage 3. Visibility is still a need in the industry, more granular data will help operations. #marssummer2024

🌍 Last week, OTIV was proud to be present at RailTrends, fondly called "the Woodstock of rail." It was a fantastic opportunity to meet new rail friends, build connections, and learn about the industry's future. Key Takeaways: 📷 Safety remains a critical focus, especially as technology continues to reshape rail operations. 📈 Growth, OR and resilience are key themes, with intermodal, short-line collaborations & industrial developments as driving forces. 💪 Partnering to acquire new technology is outpacing in-house development as rail competes with rapidly advancing alternative transport modes. At OTIV, we’re proud to advance safety with our camera-based technology, addressing one of the most dangerous rail activities: switching operations. This is a crucial step in enabling all 3 growth drivers highlighted above. 🔎 How do you see technology advancing rail safety? Let’s connect and share thoughts! And of course: Another milestone, another selfie

Want to learn more about our industry changing programme…… …..check out this 4 page article where Ed Akers provides a detailed overview of the purpose, our progress, the challenges and the plan to the end of the decade for our industry changing programme.

Our RailBlazer has been featured in the April digital edition of Progressive Railroading. With RailBlazer, each railcar becomes a digital asset, empowering fleet owners, railroads, and shippers with realtime data and seamless connectivity.  Powered by Trilogical's proprietary Mesh technology, RailBlazer's Connected Railcars System establishes a virtual network, enabling continuous monitoring of railcar positioning within the trainset. With instant safety alerts on critical failures and end-of-train events, RailBlazer ensures safety without dependency on cellular coverage. Learn more about how our innovative solution is transforming rail freight on page 34 of Progressive Railroading's digital magazine. https://lnkd.in/dcqjQWmF   #railblazer #nextgenconnectivity #realtimevisibility #assetmonitoring #railtech  

Focussing on the wheel-rail contact is crucial for understanding and optimising the performance of railway systems. The wheel-rail interface is a critical area because it directly affects train dynamics, safety and maintenance costs. Together with railway companies, universities and government departments, LUBCON has developed specialised products to reduce the typical squealing noise and wear, increasing the performance and safety. Roland Weinhart, LUBCON's director of the transportation business unit, in conversation with Rail Professional Magazine. #LUBCON #lubricants #lubricationsystems #railwayindustry #wheelrailcontact #railprofessionalmagazine

Reduce #railway noise pollution, #rail wear and energy consumption while increasing #railsafety with LUBCON's highly efficient, #biodegradable TOR friction modifiers and solid-free way side/gage face #lubricants. #railtransport #subway #lightrail #transit #wheelrailcontact #infrastructure #noisereduction #Sintono

As I said in my last post, I have been rather quiet here, but that is now going to change, with superb news today!!! Today saw the third of five sessions leading Network Rail Route Services and associated teams on carbon management and assessment for rail infrastructure - there was deep technical insight, passion, and much, much clarification. A huge step forwards is being realised, and it a privilege to be collaborating with Route Services colleagues to deliver informed change. More news soon, as the technical (r)evolution takes place.

Is US rail back? After years of stagnation, there has been renewed interest in improving existing infrastructure, adding high-speed lines (the LA to Las Vegas project recently broke ground), and reintegrating rail with the larger economy. 🛤 Some folks even seek to reimagine how U.S. rail operates fundamentally. 👀 In this week's episode of Green Tea 🍵 , Kevin and Ray discuss Kevin's journey to founding Glīd Technologies - the first autonomous road to rail solution. Kevin, who grew up with the sound of trains whistling through his neighborhood and has spent 20+ years as a logistics leader at the likes of the US Army and SpaceX, is acutely aware of the pros, cons, and immense potential of transportation systems in the United States. Regulatory, political, social, and economic challenges in the rail sector abound, but, if you watch the episode, I'm sure you'll have little doubt that Kevin (and the team he's building - stay tuned!) has the expertise and energy to take these challenges head on. Want to learn more about Glid? Check-out their website and/ or reach out to Kevin directly. #climatetech #rail #glid #greentea

🚆 The future of high-speed rail is brighter than ever. Discover how integrated networks are shaping the way we travel in this blog post from Belden Inc.'s Pradeep Kumar. #highspeedrail #integratednetwork #masstransit #industrialautomation #belden

🚆 The future of high-speed rail is brighter than ever. Discover how integrated networks are shaping the way we travel in this blog post from Belden Inc.'s Pradeep Kumar. #highspeedrail #integratednetwork #masstransit #industrialautomation #belden