2023 Volume 64 Issue 3 Pages 157-160
Various kinds of materials are used as components of systems not only in railways but also in other industrial fields. So far, advances in material technology for structural and functional materials have contributed greatly to the development of railways. Current R&D activities mostly focus on materials with longer service life, the clarification of material deterioration mechanisms and so on. However, the pandemic of COVID-19 and rapid changes in the environment with climate change will have a significant impact on future railways. It is necessary that material technology will adapt to this drastic transition in order to keep contributing to the sustainable development of railways.
