Does Apple Plan to Transform Rail Transport?

Picture c/o Mark Hughes, Flickr

Apple is apparently working with the Indian government to improve that nation’s railway infrastructure.

What??

India’s government wants to raise train speeds to 600kmh and is working with tech firms including Apple, railway minister Suresh Prabhu said.

“We are already working with companies like Apple… technology will not only be imported in India but will be co- developed in India,”

I find this very interesting. Apple is determined to increase its presence in India and has made (and is making) a range of investments to enable it to grow its business there.

One key recent investment saw the company begin to manufacture iPhone SE devices for the local market, another is the huge research center in Bangalore, and a chain of Apple retail outlets also seems inevitable.

How?

It is not especially clear how Apple will be able to help develop solutions to enhance train speeds as this isn’t one of the company’s key skills. However, mobile devices and the implications of software on transportation are key areas of interest to the company.

This rather begs the question: “Has Apple figured out how to apply the self-driving vehicle technologies it has been looking at to improve other forms of transit?” If so, what?

Or is Apple’s contribution some developer experience, some iOS devices and a little help from its Maps teams? It will certainly be interesting to find out in the years ahead, assuming the Indian government minister hasn’t simply been misunderstood.