WHEN it comes to a network business like rail, a small improvement in efficiency can have massive operational impacts. According to GE Transportation, the US rail freight industry experiences 500,000 delays a year and one in four trains suffer unplanned downtime. By increasing the average speed of each train by 1.6km/h, and reducing the amount of time trains are stationary by 1%, the savings to the industry could be as high as $US 4.7bn.