Pierre Comte was one of the keynote speakers to kick off the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) World Congress 2010 being held in Paris France from November 2 to 4. The congress brings together senior management, technical specialists and project leaders from the world's foremost metro operators and suppliers. The industry's leading innovators will discuss system requirements and technology selection, and best practice strategies for implementation, operations and maintenance, for both new lines and retrofits. They will shape the strategies that will define the fast, efficient, automated metro networks of the future.
CBTC to address growing urban populations
Pierre addressed about 250 delegates from around the globe on the role CBTC will play as a driver of ‘greener' solutions. According to the World Resources Institute, the world's urban population is currently growing at four times the rate of the rural population. Between 1990 and 2025, the number of people living in urban areas is projected to double to more than five billion; if it does, then almost two thirds of the world's population will be living in towns and cities. These population increases require faster, more efficient and numerous public transportation systems. Metro operators will need to invest in new technologies that not only improve and create metros in a timely and cost-efficient way but also address today's environmental concerns.
Energy efficiency is key
Tomorrow's urban transit systems must not only be cost efficient, but must also be a key contributor to reducing the negative impact on the environment. "Energy efficiency is a big theme for mass transit today", Pierre said. "It is a theme that is helping to reshape the industry, both financially and environmentally." The delta team is doing just that - creating the train control systems of the future.
