"Getting broadband is as important for the future of rural areas as trains were 150 years ago and roads were 50 years ago, " he added.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Wales | Mid | Sites gather broadband support

To minimize future chaos and literally keep the trains running, Kaspersky and his company are expanding their ambitions beyond mere antivirus software to build their own, extra-secure operating system just for large-scale industry.

ENGADGET: Kaspersky Labs preps its own OS to guard vital industry against cyberwarfare

And maybe I can see a future where you swipe in and out on trains and buses using an NFC phone instead of a card.

BBC: NFC - not for consumers?

"I think in parts of the country, taking high-speed trains will be like taking buses in the future, " she said.

CNN: China's high-speed trains attract frustrated fliers

"There are other trains in Europe but for me high-speed train will be the future of Europe, " he says.

CNN: 'Ferrari' train driving high-speed rail renaissance

The trains are part of what Rio Tinto calls its "Mine of the Future" program, which includes 150 driverless trucks and automated drills.

NPR: Practically Human: Can Smart Machines Do Your Job?

But the role of trains in Britain's industrial rise does not make them essential to its future.

ECONOMIST: Manufacturing: A tale of two industries | The

The two other prospective franchisees GB Railways and National Express - who own the Central Trains service in mid-Wales - are expected to reveal their ideas in the near future.

BBC: News Online