Manufacturing Magazine July 2015 | Page 81

AUSTRALIA
Inside mock up of QNGR vehicle - restroom facilities
consumption that this mode of travel demands make it obviously impractical for commuter traffic .
Interestingly , it ’ s a return to a technology older than both of those that shows the greatest promise : rail .
Long neglected as the usefulstill , but not as glamorous transport of yesteryear , the commuter rail industry is poised to make real growth over the next decade or two in nearly every country in the world . One such endeavor that could serve as a beacon for future projects to look to for guidance is being carried out in Australia .
In May 2015 , the Australasian
Railway Association ( ARA ) published the results of the Infrastructure Australia Audit Report , which found the ocean-lined nation woefully unprepared for the challenges of growing populations .
ARA Interim Chairman Bob Herbert said , “ Rail infrastructure underpinning passenger transport must be in place to meet population growth which , according to the audit , will swell demand for public transport by 55 percent in Sydney , 121 percent in Melbourne and around 89 percent in other capital cities .”
While the results of the audit
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