The rail industry has always had a need to answer the question of ‘where’ and GIS can provide that answer. This paper seeks to highlight some of the reasons why GIS should be used within rail organisations.

The use of maps and mapping technology within the transport industry is growing as the larger digital revolution continues to disrupt and change the way in which traditional tasks are undertaken. The method of conveying information through cartographic output has been present within this industry, and particularly within the rail sector, for many years but the increased awareness and benefits seen from digital processes such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) have made the use of mapping technology more valuable than ever.

This paper sets out to explain why and how location is used within the rail sector, providing a background to its use before setting out some clear and precise examples of what benefit the knowledge of where can provide. This paper will also provide some insight into what could come next for such technology within the rail industry. Examples covered in this whitepaper include: Skanska, Transport for London, Crossrail, JNP and The London Underground.