Increasing population, urbanization and globalization will mean more travel on the cards. Studies have shown passenger travel in terms of miles will triple by 2050 — a volume that may not be possible to manage via roads alone.

Railways have a greater capacity for meeting these increasing needs and with more energy efficiency. Train technology is moving at a slower rate than automotive technology, yet scientists and engineers have recently come up with some innovative technologies that may change the future of travel.

One such exciting innovation is the Hyperloop. The concept is based around straight tubes with a partial vacuum applied under gracefully designed pods. The pods will have an electric compressor fan on their nose that will actively transfer the high-pressure air from the front to the rear. This will help create an air cushion once a linear electric motor has launched the pod.

The Hyperloop can transport passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than 30 minutes as it seamlessly travels at a speed of close to 800 mph. Once the technology is in place and the trains are functional, these pods may appear every 30 seconds making intercity travel faster and cheaper.

All this would either be solar- or battery-powered, which means increased travel volume will no longer put pressure on the planet. Many believe the Hyperloop system cannot be classified as train travel since this futuristic technology can only transport people from one place to another in a straight line over a relative flat landscape, but has limited reach for many parts of the world.

The man behind the original design, Elon Musk, has termed it as the fifth mode of transport (after boats, cars, trains and planes), one that will be a standalone option for some places.

While the Hyperloop system is merely a prototype at this time, another futuristic train design is already in operation. Maglev trains, which is the shorter form of "magnetic levitation," are currently running in Shanghai and in Japan. There are more in the making in China as well as South Korea.

A powerful magnetic force lifts and propels the train along dedicated lines that are as straight as possible, using a minimal amount of energy compared to diesel-run or electric-powered trains. The electromagnets in the vehicle work with the ferromagnetic guide rails to pull the vehicle up while the guidance magnets help it stay on track laterally.

Traveling at a speed close to 310 mph, it can cover over 200 miles in 40 minutes. Imagine how much time and money can be saved once this kind of transportation is used in more corners of the world. There will be less fuel consumption and energy wastage, less pollution, less congestion on the roads and definitely fewer accidents.

The downside is the high cost of development and initial infrastructure cost, which is also combined with the problem that it cannot be integrated with existing rail networks. These have raised doubts about its viability as an alternative high-speed rail technology, but one has to only look at the long-term benefits to give this more thought.

Japan is also in the process of setting up the SCMaglev or the superconducting magnetic levitation. These powerful "superconducting" magnets will be working on repulsive technology rather than attractive forces of its predecessor. The train has been approved to run from Tokyo to Osaka by 2027, and it is expected to cover this distance of 311 miles in just over an hour.

Clearly, greater automation and innovative technology is set to dominate the future of rail travel, and thereby all future travel.

Research and development in the field is focused on converging the travel and communication between all mainline trains, aiming at increased capacity and service levels. Better use of energy, energy storage systems and advanced substations, and simpler layouts for new lines all point definitive a shift to smarter rail systems.

As the federal government has just approved nearly $30 million in seed money for a high-speed maglev rail corridor linking Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the U.S. is also moving closer to high-speed and more efficient rail travel.