The ITC – the International Technical Committee – of the IRSE, the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers, has attempted to assess the future trends in the field of modern mass-transit train control. After a set of definitions and differences “to set the scene” and to avoid confusion as to what is or is not included, the article sets out several issues that have to be considered. These include re-signalling an existing line; inter-changeability and interoperability; communication aspects; degraded mode concerns and possible solutions; and how to manage obsolescence. The article concludes with suggestions from the ITC members on future trends, and why we are considering them.