Whither Motive Power: Utilization, Demands, and Perspectives in the Light of Changing Requirements

The interaction between motive power developments and the role of the ralways in our industrial society are discussed. The time frame is the remaining years of this century. Traffic trends are reviewed, and the railways´ traditional dependence on low-cost bulk commodities is challenged. The future of the railways as a major agent of industrial development calls for a rethinking of their long-term strategy and the formulation of a motive-power policy attuned to it.