At Siemens’train-making plant in Uerdingen, near Düsseldorf, engineers wear 3-D spectacles as they examine detailed projections of their company’s latest designs. The facility lets them rotate multi-dimensional projections of the train and its components to see how easily they can be maintained, how comfortable the driver will be and other minute details.

Similarly impressive work is undertaken at General Electric’s main locomotive plant in Erie, Pennsylvania, where the company works to cut fuel consumption and develop hybrid, power-saving techniques.

The world’s big-three passenger train manufacturers – Siemens, France’s Alstom and Canada’s Bombardier – along with GE and Caterpillar’s EMD Division, the dominant forces in diesel locomotives, have long bet advanced technology would keep them on top of the world’s rail supply market. All have transferred some technology to Chinese partners, largely trusting their designs will not be misused to develop other products.