My work place + 100

Vacuum Tube Train: A 4000mph magnetically levitated train (source: MIka Grondahl,www.popsci.com)

Reference - http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/science-china-train/

As part of the week 1 home work I tried to imagine what my current work place (Queensland Rail) might look like in 100 years. I regularly work at central station which is a major transport hub connecting Brisbane's suburbia to the heart of the city and am curious about what the network infrastructure will look like in a future scenario.

Will train travel remain as a vital transport mode in the future and if so what innovations will have taken place and in what context?

When working at central station and observing and interacting with the 1000's of people that utilise the rail service everyday I am reminded of how integral trail travel is to the city. I am also reminded of the fragility of the system when the entire network is thrown into chaos after a bird flew into an electrical transformer. City circulation was choked with other modes of transport such as cars and buses suffering congestion as well.

This event had me thinking about the bigger picture of transport systems and it's integration into the city fabric. Integration appears to be the key strategy for future schemes with transport orientated developments (TOD) becoming the focus of planners and developers in recent times.

'Capillary Networks'

original image source: http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/01/30/envisioning-a-future-interstate-rail-network/

I imagine a future Brisbane with a fully integrated transport system that reaches out into the regional areas not unlike capillaries from the heart. The city is planning the fusion of mixed transport mode infrastructure into a singular system that avoids the tangle and expense created by separate bus/train/car infrastructure, in affect, a 'tidying' up of the spaghetti style forms of current roads and rail corridors.

'Highway Spaghetti'
image ref: http://mehmetduru.net/karikaturlerim/


Trains and buses already share the same tube lines, however, road infrastructure still remains and is at the
subject of a heated debate to whether it should be dismantled in place of a new system.

Finally nuclear fusion technology has been harnessed resulting in a plentiful, sustainable energy supply that is localised without the need for large scale electrical infrastructure networks. Trains resemble current forms but are made of light weight carbon fibre shells that allow for greater speeds. They are moved by electromagnetic technology at speeds of up to 1000 km's an hour with the International Transport Authority (ITA) soon to approve speeds up to 4000 km's an hour pending final research outcomes at the Institute of Electromagnetic Technology.

The existing rail corridors are utilized for the new EM infrastructure which is essentially a circular tube in form. The 'tubes' are mostly recessed into the ground to allow for infrastructure to be built on top of the network. This eliminates all rail crossings and reduces car/pedestrian accidents to nil.

My new role at central station is titled Customer Experience Facilitator. QR's focus is on how customers experience and interact with the network. Thanks to huge advances in Personal Information Systems customers no longer need to ask staff for timetable or wayfinding info. Fares are deducted automatically as Smart Cards and personal microchips have replaced go cards and tickets. Augmented reality systems are in place which guide customers to where they need/want to go customise their experience of the station.