Abstract

Railways are a major component of a sustainable transport policy in many countries since they are considered as green, efficient and a safe mode of transportation. The investment in the expansion of railway infrastructure has not kept up with the demand for increased usage. The asset management of railway tracks thus have a key role in ensuring seamless and safe operation. However, the current railway track maintenance strategies has insufficient concern for the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the transport system. Given the ageing infrastructure of railway networks, constrained maintenance budgets, the vertical separation of the ownership and operation of railway track infrastructure and tracks in many countries, and concerns about the environmental impacts of transport, there is a need to identify and implement sustainable maintenance strategies. The talk will gives an introduction on the way forward.