Sustainability for People and for Planet

Out of the 17 UN goals, CEMIT’s values directly coincide with 9 of them. Read on to see how improving railway systems can lay the tracks for a better world.

#3: Good Health and Well Being

Driving contributes to air pollution, increasing the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer. Driving also correlates with poorer physical health, as it is less likely to be combined with walking, biking or the like. By providing people with efficient, effective and reliable train transportation, we are helping reduce our dependence on automobiles, while increasing the number of steps taken per day. Healthier people are not only happier people, but economically improve a society.

#8: Decent Work and Economic Growth 

Equality should also be applied to a person’s ability to pursue the job of their choice. Can we have equality if those without access to a car are withheld from the opportunities that those with a car can reach? Railways, as a part of any affordable and reliable public transportation system, work to make labor markets more accessible, no matter who you are or where you come from. By building a mobile transport network that links city and country, rail stands as a key contribution for businesses and business people alike.

#9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Without innovation, infrastructure and industry cannot move forward. Yet the de-carbonisation of transportation has been slow compared to that of other economic sectors. With rail being one of the oldest forms of mass transport in the world, CEMIT believes it is time to reinvent the wheel when it comes to traveling sustainably, efficiently, and safely.

#10: Reduced Inequalities

There are many factors that can contribute to inequalities within society, be it finances, disabilities, or place of residence. Yet these obstacles can be flattened through equal access to affordable transportation. No matter if you are wheelchair dependent, a young child trying to get to soccer practice, or a mother of three needing to get to work, rails have the ability to transform the way we live, work and play.

#11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

A well-functioning public transport system is crucial for the smart-cities of today and tomorrow. Ideal locations, powered by renewable energy, keeping smaller communities alive and well, helps reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By building infrastructure that can let a society feasibly combine bicycles, walking paths and carpooling /car sharing as part of their transportation mix, we help fulfill a prerequisite for positive business development and economic prosperity.

#12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Doing more with fewer resources has always been at the core of mass transportation. Why get one person where they need to be when you can get 200 all at once? As we move into the future, we must do what we can to reduce our energy consumption, traffic congestion and resources used on maintenance and repair – one of CEMIT’s specialties.

#13: Climate Action

The European Commission’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy also believes that the time to act is now, and calls for ‘decisive action to shift more activity towards more sustainable transport modes’. The strategy wants to double high-speed rail traffic in Europe by 2030, and triple it by 2050. You can read more about the need for efficient and less fossil-fuel intensive passenger and freight transport in Europe on the European Environmental Agency website.

Our fully integrated CEMIT Intelligent Railway System™  continuously monitors environmental conditions and train equipment to decrease unplanned maintenance while increasing planned, preventive maintenance. The reduction in delays and cancellations results in significant profit increases for railway operators, infrastructure suppliers, and companies that depend on passengers or freight transport.

The CEMIT Intelligent Railway System’s ability to increase reliability and reduce costs ultimately aids in making train journeys more cost-effective, in addition to reducing passenger anxiety and improving passenger satisfaction. If we can implement the right type of technology to make train journeys more competitive for consumers, any increase in “track-traffic” will directly reduce the use of cars and planes. And this we view as a substantial environmental win.  

CEMIT Visualizer, through its highly accurate documentation process, has been designed to help train operators experiencing reduced service levels and increased maintenance work by transferring the majority of their costs to the infrastructure provider. With maintenance costs throughout the EU currently totalling around €13.8 billion annually, tby equipping all trains with CEMIT technology we could reduce maintenance costs by more than 30%: resulting in an annual potential saving equivalent of more than  €4 billion annually.

In time, CEMIT Visualizer can reduce train downtime by over 20%, train maintenance costs by over 30%, and train energy consumption by over 5%. While the percentages may seem small on their own, they have a massive impact when applied on a global scale. Fewer carbon emissions, less noise pollution, and a reduced dependency on fossil powered trains have direct positive environmental outcomes and increased competitiveness for passenger and freight transport via rail.

The digitalized maintenance of critical infrastructures, such as railways, will directly increase operational reliability and efficiency. This makes the long-distance transportation of products and people by rail a highly viable and plausible solution. In some countries, such as Norway, where electricity is harnessed from renewable sources such as hydroelectric power, the increase in rail transportation will naturally correspond with a reduction in transport by planes, cars and the non-renewable fuels that power them. 

By investing in CEMIT technology, you are not only supporting the positive growth of rail transportation, but committing to a future of greener public spaces and improved urban planning. CEMIT believes that to build safe, adaptable and inclusive cities, development must balance social, economic, and environmental needs. Join us today in redefining sustainable transportation by making railways more intelligent.