As part of a philanthropic agreement with UNESCO, the software giant has teamed up with Rhaetian Railway to provide Google Rail View, yet another addition to the growing resource of online exploration. You won't spot your childhood home on this route, however, as the hope is to capture images of the breath-taking Swiss Alps.
Sometime in 2008, UNESCO designated the Albula and Bernina lines of Rhaetian Railway to be official World Heritage Sites due to the inspiring views they provide of the most famous peaks in the Alps. Having mapped and photographed everything between Amazonian foot paths and the infamous ruins of Pompeii, Google extended their image cache to include railway systems last year when they charted the Trans-Siberian Express. Expanding on that test-drive, Google Rail View will continue throughout Switzerland's mountain ranges and onto new, more logic-defying locations. What's next? My money is on Mars Street View!
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Google Rail View
- A growing resource of online exploration that can be extended to new and more logic-defying locations.
- Online Mapping Software
- An increasingly useful tool that can be used for philanthropic purposes and has the potential for many commercial applications.
- Railway Mapping
- A niche area of mapping technology that has significant potential for innovation in transportation and logistics.
Where This Applies
- Technology
- This trend could be utilized by technology companies that specialize in mapping and location-based services, or by transportation companies that want to improve logistics and train travel experiences.
- Tourism
- This trend could be utilized by tourism companies that offer rail tours, allowing them to provide a virtual experience for potential customers.
- Environmental Conservation
- This trend could be utilized by environmental conservation groups that want to use mapping technology to identify areas in need of protection or to monitor changes in landscapes over time.
