This study is designed to provide data relevant to the Rail Passenger sector for an intermodal National Transportation Policy Study. The current state of technology in the Canadian rail passenger sector is described against a background of current and emerging technology on a worldwide basis. This review includes rolling stock, right-of-way, communications and control, terminals, procedures and regulations. A quantitative and qualitative assessment of the current performance of the sector is presented and includes the development of a hypothetical cost model to be used for the analysis of various technological alternatives delineated in subsequent sections. The third section briefly summarizes the expectations for technological change within the sector during the period 1975/1990 in terms of several alternative courses of action. The final section utilizes the previously developed hypothetical cost model to analyze a number of technological alternatives for the sector. Brief qualitative statements are made concerning the impact of potential technological change. The viability of a railway passenger system can only be considered on a route-specific basis, a procedure far beyond the scope of this study. Accordingly, questions are considered on a general or "type case" basis, in the hope that this will provide some generally useful information, or at least a framework for the consideration of specific problems.