Moving toward a strategic technology plan: the business case supporting such a move is strong. Upper management must take the first steps
Author: Railway Age

Very rarely in our lives re we offered the opportunity to "start with a clean slate," as the grade school teacher would inevitably say the first day of the school year. Even that opportunity fades in the adolescent years as the cumulative grade point average gains mass and becomes an increasing burden for those late bloomers who don't maintain constant vigilance on their academic credentials.

The railroads now find themselves in a similar position, but reversed. They have the extraordinary opportunity to wipe the slate clean and take a greenfield approach to rid themselves of antiquated operating practices to which they have been held captive by succeeding generations of massive infrastructure accumulated over nearly a century of operation. The business case for such a transition has already been made; actually, it has been mandated. The challenge now is for railroad management to recognize the opportunity and develop the necessary strategic technology plan in sync with a strategic operations plan to take advantage of it.

The opportunity