The shipping and rail industries have largely been replaced/augmented by the road and air industries... Ultimately it was aviation that led to the demise of the wealth and prestige in shipping and rail.
As developing economies (third world) develop and expand their air industries, established economies (first world) will need 'the next step' to maintain a competitive advantage. China will overtake the US as the world's largest economy within 18 months. India has already overtaken Japan. When you throw in an oil crisis on top of all that...
The coming revolution will impact much, much more than aviation.