What I am proposing is such a radical departure from conventional practice as to sound preposterous. It is based on the notion that railroads benefit from a built-in guidance system that is not only mechanical but "visual". I am talking abut a steering system that would take a picture of the track ahead and assist the wheelset to move in the right direction. A readable marker would be incorporated into the railhead. Well maintained track would natively provide guidance instructions to a computerized steering system. The much ballyhooed automated freeway would have to add to the road surface the continuous guideposts that are inherent features of railways

The idea would be to supplement and "correct" mechanical tracking with the objective to reduce hunting and wear to the wheels and rails. The technology nmy need to catch up but I think the concept has merit theoretically.