The indelible imagery: Copacabana, the Christo Redentor, Sugarloaf Mountain, Carnival, samba, bossa nova, football, the Amazon.

The complicated reality: a massive urban (at around 91%, one of the highest in the world) and ageing population. A highly diverse society with similar issues facing other large nations, like wealth disparity and security concerns. Home to perhaps the most intense environmental flashpoint in the world. And an unimaginable wealth of natural resources.

Complexity rivalled only by an even greater potential - this is Crossroads Brazil, a crucible where all the challenges of growth in a contemporary global context come together to demand novel solutions. Where transformation is inevitable.

Our Sustainability Vice President Véronique Andriès spent time here early in her career as a researcher. “It has continental dimensions, constantly growing urban centres, and crucial logistical needs for economic development,” she explains.

Wandsbek Berne to Hauptbahnhof - U1, 38 mins / Hauptbahnhof to Dammtor (Messe) Hamburg – S2, 6 mins

6:20. The alarm goes off.

Sabine wakes up and sits on the edge of her bed, collecting herself before another busy Tuesday.

Agenda: Wake up Julia, her eight-year-old daughter. Breakfast, bathroom, dressed. Drop her off at school by 8:15. 

Take the 8:40 U1 into Hamburg Mitte for a busy morning at the office. Today she’ll present her latest graphic proposal to her client. 

Railways are the nervous system of modern cities, keeping them vibrant and connected to the world at large. They ensure the free movement and exchange that underpins economic prosperity and the well-being of people and communities. Surging demand for transportation, rapid technological advancement, environmental upheavals, geopolitical and economic uncertainty—cities can only thrive in the face of these pressures if their railway systems are something they can depend on.

We at Alstom define resilience as the ability of a rail system to resist, absorb, adapt to and recover from adverse events or stresses while maintaining safety and performance. The first line of defence is robustness. We use tough, high-quality components and materials, and our high-performance trains and infrastructure are designed for long lifecycles. We also work to anticipate all possible disruptions, including digital, that railway operators will face both short and long-term, and we design products and services that can absorb these pressures with as little disruption as possible. This is railway resilience: the capacity to absorb stress and recover quickly from adverse events.