Railway transport systems' contribution to sustainable development

Abstract

Transport is one of the main contributors to global environmental pollution and in particular greenhouse gas emissions (approx. 24% in 2015). Modern railway transport systems enhance the future environmental performance of transport through i) optimized construction materials, ii) improved construction and refurbishment processes, iii) evolving monitoring and maintenance management and iv) network development. This paper demonstrates a variety of studies investigating the sustainability of the construction, maintenance and operation of railway transport systems. The presented results underline the key role of railway transports systems within a future-proof sustainable built environment. As an example for an investment into a sustainable transport system the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) can be named, with which the European Union aims to offer an attractive, comprehensive and sustainable transport infrastructure and in which railway transport plays the leading role.