It was more than a coincidence. At essentially the same time, top railroad officials in major industry conferences on both sides of the Atlantic spoke of the same development as one of the most exciting areas in the railroad industry.
They were referring to at least three major developments in electronics that have joined with human reasoning and ingenuity to give new dimensions to information analysis and control — the computer, electronic telecommunications and the keyboard-controlled video unit.
For example, at the AAR Data Systems Division's annual meeting, Mr. Larry Cena, president and chief executive officers of the Santa Fe, said that a "great leap forward" in railroad productivity was the result of such data systems advances, but he cautioned that the work was far from completed. ...
Source: Progressive Railroading, December 1982
