How the rail sector is adapting to an AI-enabled future

Data centres are sprouting up across the UK, signalling the new cloud-based computing muscle behind artificial intelligence (AI) in this country and internationally. While this is cause for consternation in some quarters, it’s good news for the UK’s railways, according to Network Rail Technical Authority principal engineer (track data AI & ML) Ian Dean, who describes early 2026 as “a really exciting time” for the sector. He notes that although digital tools have long been capturing and processing data about rail infrastructure, their influence is now being amplified by AI’s capability for rapidly processing huge datasets, “learning” from them to recognise patterns, make predictions and even operate with relative autonomy. “With AI, you’re now able to build models to make predictions,” he says. “Through developments like parallel processing chips and the rise of internet connectivity post Covid-19, we now have this unprecedented access to data in high volumes. For the rail sector, that means you’re able to process these huge data sets much more quickly.” He adds that this is consequential in light of the recent establishment of Great British Railways (GBR) – which will see infrastructure and services brought together under a single aegis – and its innovation arm GBRX, which views AI as a core element of its strategy to modernise the UK rail industry. Can you imagine walking along the track for miles and miles and nothing’s wrong – and then there’s just that one thing that m...