The 2024 Rail Industry Report provides an in-depth analysis of emerging trends, technological advancement, and stakeholders shaping the rail sector. It focuses on digital rail to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability within the industry. It also explores developments such as tunnel boring machines, electrification, and green logistics that highlight their impact on operations and long-term growth.
This report was last updated in July 2024.
This rail report serves as a reference for stakeholders within the industry, investors, policymakers, and economic analysts, providing a snapshot of the industry’s health to map its trajectory for innovation and growth in the coming years.
StartUs Insights Rail Industry Report 2024
- Executive Summary
- Introduction to the Rail Industry Report 2024
- What data is used in this Rail Industry Report?
- Snapshot of the Global Rail Industry
- Funding Landscape in the Rail Industry
- Who is Investing in the Rail Industry?
- Emerging Trends in the Rail Industry
- 5 Rail Startups impacting the Industry
Executive Summary: Railway Industry Outlook 2024
This report is created using data obtained from the Big Data and AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering more than 4.7 million global companies, as well as 20K+ technologies and emerging trends. We also analyzed a sample of 2300+ rail startups developing innovative solutions to present five examples from emerging rail industry trends.
- Industry Growth Overview: The rail industry exhibited a decline in growth by 4.49% over the last year, and includes about 31270 companies.
- Manpower & Employment Growth: The global workforce stands at 5.7 million, with an increase of 212300+ new employees last year.
- Patents & Grants: The sector received 30550+ patents and 2140+ grants.
- Global Footprint: Major hubs include the US, India, UK, Germany, and China. Similarly, the key city hubs are London, Mumbai, New Delhi, New York City, and Bangalore. These play an important role in the industry’s innovation and startup activities.
- Investment Landscape: The industry maintains an average investment value of USD 89 million per round.
- Top Investors: Top investors including SoftBank Vision Fund, Techstars, Tikehau Capital, and more have collectively invested more than USD 1 billion.
- Startup Ecosystem: The top startups in the rail industry include MongerTech (GPS tracking), Praedico (asset management), EneRail (energy consumption reduction), MainRail (infrastructure maintenance optimization), and DrainBot (tunnel drainage maintenance).
- Recommendations for Stakeholders: Investors should include green and technologically advanced rail projects in their portfolios. Governments should modernize infrastructure, incentivize sustainability, and streamline safety and regulations. Companies should adopt digital tools and sustainable practices and invest in workforce development to increase efficiency and meet future demand.
Explore the Data-driven Railway Outlook for 2024
The Rail Sector Outlook 2024 uses data from the Discovery Platform and encapsulates the key metrics that underline the sector’s dynamic growth and innovation. The heatmap provides an overview of key metrics within our database, that encompasses 31270+ companies and 2390 startups.
Despite a decline of 4.49% in industry growth over the last year, the data shows innovation activity. It recorded 30550+ patents and 2140+ grants. The global workforce affiliated with the companies stands at 5.7 million individuals. The last year alone saw an increase in manpower, with 212300+ new employees joining these companies.
Further, the analysis identifies the US, India, the UK, Germany, and China as the top five country hubs leading in industry activities. On a more localized scale, cities like London, Mumbai, New Delhi, New York City, and Bangalore stand out as the city hubs. These regions contribute to the high volume of patents and grants and influence the growth of global manpower within the industry.
What data is used to create this railway sector report?
Based on the data provided by our Discovery Platform, we observe that the rail industry ranks among the top 5% in the following categories relative to all 20K topics in our database. These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the industry’s key metrics and inform the short-term future direction of the industry.
- News Coverage & Publications: The rail industry involved about 3200 publications in the past year.
- Funding Rounds: Our database records more than 3200 funding rounds.
- Manpower: With a workforce exceeding 5.7 million, the rail industry added more than 212300 new employees.
- Patents: More than 30500 patents highlight the innovation in the rail industry.
- Grants: The industry secured over 2140 grants.
- Global Search Growth: Demonstrating its growing relevance and interest globally, the rail industry experienced a yearly global search growth rate of 4.82%.
A Snapshot of the Global Rail Industry
The industry includes over 5.7 million workers contributing to its operations. Over the past year, the industry added 212300 new employees. Further, more than 31270 companies operate within the industry which reflects the scope and opportunities it offers. This number of companies signifies a market with activities in various sectors within the industry.
Explore the Funding Landscape of the Rail Industry
The average investment value in the industry stands at USD 88.9 million per round. In total, the sector involves over 2000 investors actively engaging with the industry. The industry experienced the closure of more than 3260 funding rounds, with over 1560 companies receiving investments. This high activity attracts investors to the industry as more companies seek capital to rapidly grow and meet increasing demand.
Who is Investing in the Rail Industry?
The top investors in the industry collectively funneled over USD 1.2 billion into various companies. The breakdown of the contributions made by each of these leading investors:
- SoftBank Vision Fund stands out with an investment of USD 700 million across 2 companies.
- Tikehau Capital allocated USD 41.2 million in investments across 7 companies.
- Alstom invested USD 31.8 million in 6 companies.
- T. Rowe Price demonstrated a strategic investment in at least 1 company with USD 500 million.
- Techstars contributed to the industry’s innovation by investing USD 514 thousand in 7 companies.
Access Top Rail Innovations & Trends with the Discovery Platform
Several key trends are emerging in the rail industry that are changing its landscape. Here are firmographic insights on a few of them:
- Electrification involves 6805 companies and 1.2 million employees. Over the last year, the sector added 55400 new employees. Its annual trend growth rate stands at 7.17%, reflecting steady and positive growth.
- Green Logistics represents 398 companies in logistics and supply chain management. The sector employs 113500 individuals and added 3400 new employees over the past year. The trend experienced an annual growth rate of 15.41%.
- Tunnel Boring Machine trend is experiencing an annual growth rate of 20.02%. Currently, 322 companies operate within this niche and employ 117400 individuals. Over the past year, these companies added 3500 new employees.
5 Top Examples from 2300+ Innovative Rail Startups
The five innovative startups showcased below are picked based on data including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.
MongerTech offers GPS Tracking
Australian startup MongerTech provides advanced tracking and automation systems for the construction and rail maintenance industries. The MongerTracker platform ensures real-time visibility into vehicle locations and statuses to enhance asset management and operational safety. GPS and vehicle tracking technologies facilitate improved response times and efficient fleet management. Vehicle automation integrates GPS and telematics data to create scenario-based automation tailored to industry-specific needs. The startup provides insights and automation capabilities that enhance construction and rail maintenance operations.
Praedico provides Asset Management
Dutch startup Praedico optimizes light and heavy-haul network operations through advanced software solutions. The software digitizes and centralizes operating data while enhancing smart asset management. It improves system availability by predicting and mitigating maintenance issues. Its digital twin feature showcases operation data to improve decision-making processes. By leveraging big data and AI algorithms, Praedico predicts potential defects within the rail network. These features elevate network performance and asset management in the rail sector.
EneRail develops Energy Consumption Reduction Solution
UK-based startup EneRail provides integrated technology solutions and optimizes driving strategies to enhance energy efficiency. The startup offers a driver advisory system, designed as a plug-and-play tool that displays real-time performance data. This system captures data on braking rates, energy usage, and traction characteristics for driver improvement. In addition, EneRail offers energy modeling using traction systems to create simulations for various power systems. The company also develops a performance analysis tool that aids drivers in visualizing their performance. These solutions reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in rail operations through smart data utilization.
MainRail optimizes Infrastructure Maintenance
Spanish startup MainRail provides a software solution that manages maintenance operations, from strategic planning to daily execution. The software reduces maintenance costs by preventing unscheduled repairs and optimizing resource allocation. It increases network capacity by leveraging maintenance planning, thereby minimizing service downtime risks. MainRail enhances service quality through customizable dashboards that analyze key performance indicators relevant to the business. It also improves traceability of asset conditions linked with maintenance actions and automatic reporting to streamline operations.
DrainBot develops Tunnel Drainage Maintenance Solution
Austrian startup DrainBot develops an autonomous system for tunnel drainage maintenance. This system utilizes mechanical cleaning to maintain drainage pipes, eliminate water use, and reduce environmental impact. The autonomous robotic units travel through drainage systems using a battery system and the integrated sensors collect data to optimize maintenance schedules. The system relies on a network of charging stations to maintain operational readiness. By reducing maintenance costs and eliminating water consumption, DrainBot lowers environmental footprints and operational disruptions.
Looking for Comprehensive Insights into Rail Trends, Startups, or Technologies?
The 2024 Railway Sector Report highlights innovation and sustainable practices that shape the future of rail transport. As the industry adapts to environmental pressure and technological shifts, strategic investment in smart infrastructure and eco-friendly solutions grows. Growing populations also increase the demand for fast and convenient transportation solutions for moving both people and goods. Get in touch to explore all 2300+ startups and scaleups, as well as all industry trends impacting rail companies.
