Application of Sustainable Infrastructure Criteria in Railway Projects with the Input–Process–Output–Outcome Approach
Downloads
Present-day societies face unprecedented dependence on built infrastructure amid escalating sustainability challenges including climate change and social inequality. Railway infrastructure, positioned as the most environmentally sustainable transport mode, presents a critical paradox: while essential for sustainable mobility, much of the existing network was built when environmental awareness, accessibility and innovation-driven technologies were not design priorities. This creates a significant research gap in how railway infrastructure can be systematically aligned with current sustainability frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Agreement and regional policy initiatives. This study addresses this gap by developing a comprehensive decision-making model that integrates railway-specific sustainability criteria defined in the previous study within an input-process-output-outcome (IPOO) framework. The approach enables infrastructure management organizations to evaluate investment projects beyond immediate operational efficiency, incorporating medium- and long-term impacts that strengthen system resilience. The framework was validated through application to Latvian railway infrastructure investment scenario. Results demonstrate that the IPOO methodology enables infrastructure managers to trace causality from resource allocation decisions through transformation processes to both immediate outputs and long-term societal impacts. Expert panel validation confirmed practical applicability while identifying critical enhancement requirements across all IPOO components. These findings contribute to sustainable infrastructure assessment theory by providing 64 railway sector-specific indicators aligned with broader SDG frameworks. Practically, the model enables railway infrastructure management companies to systematically assess investment projects for medium- and long-term transformative potential, while offering policymakers a structured approach for developing targeted resilience strategies. This research advances the integration of sustainability science with infrastructure decision-making.
Downloads
Global Infrastructure Hub. Global infrastructure outlook. Oxford Economics; 2017. https://cdn.gihub.org/outlook/live/methodology/Global+Infrastructure+Outlook+-+July+2017.pdf
Aon. 2025 climate and catastrophe insight. 2025. https://tinyurl.com/ycyphsmh [shortened link]
Thacker S, et al. Infrastructure for sustainable development. Nature Sustainability. 2019;2:324-331. DOI: 10.1038/s41893-019-0256-8
Kovalsky A. Criteria of infrastructure enterprises’ sustainable development for meeting the sustainable development goals. Economics & Education. 2022;7(10):49-54. DOI: 10.30525/2500-946x/2022-1-7
Brodny J, Tutak M. The level of implementing sustainable development goal “industry, innovation and infrastructure” of Agenda 2030 in the European Union countries: application of MCDM methods. Oeconomia Copernicana. 2023;14(1). DOI: 10.24136/oc.2023.002
Mahmood S, et al. Green finance, sustainable infrastructure, and green technology innovation: pathways to achieving sustainable development goals in the belt and road initiative. Environmental Research Communications. 2024;6(10). DOI: 10.1088/2515-7620/ad898f
Meng J, Ye Z, Wang Y. Financing and investing in sustainable infrastructure: A review and research agenda. Sustainable Futures. 2024;8:100312. DOI: 10.1016/j.sftr.2024.100312
Mattinzioli T, Sol-Sánchez M, Martínez G, Rubio-Gámez M. A critical review of roadway sustainable rating systems. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2020;63:102447. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102447
Ran J, Nedovic-Budic Z. Designing an information infrastructure for policy integration of spatial planning and flood risk management. International Journal of E-Planning Research. 2018;7(1):33. https://www.igi-global.com
Kohler J, et al. Infrastructure investment for a transition to hydrogen automobiles. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 2010;77(8):1237-1248. DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2010.03.010
Marletto G. Who will drive the transition to self-driving? A socio-technical analysis of the future impact of automated vehicles. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 2019;139:221-234. DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2018.10.023
Upadhyaya JK, Biswas N, Tam EKL. Using qualitative indicators in infrastructure assessment using the functionality–resiliency–sustainability framework. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities. 2021;4. DOI: 10.3389/frsc.2021.746537
Global Infrastructure Basel. Accelerating a mainstream transition to sustainable, resilient, and regenerative infrastructure. 2025. https://www.gib-foundation.org/
Torrisi G. Public infrastructure: definition, classification and measurement issues. MPRA Paper; 2009. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23935428
Anagnostopoulos A. Modal shift to rail transport as a mitigation measure to decarbonize the transport sector: review of barriers and opportunities. E3S Web of Conferences. 2024;585:12001. DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/202458512001
Larena JB, et al. Civil works’ urban heritage: The significance of the water supply, bridges, roads and rail networks in the conformation of Madrid. Land. 2025;14(6):1299. DOI: 10.3390/land14061299
Clot-Garrell A, Wagner P. Modern infrastructures through the lens of classical sociology: Unpacking ambiguities. Journal of Classical Sociology. 2025;25(2). DOI: 10.1177/1468795X251327058
Eurostat. Electrified railway lines increased by 31% since 1990. 2024. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20240313-1
Gajewska P, Szewczyk I, Koulouris G. Enhancing the accessibility of railway transportation for individuals with physical disabilities. Transport Problems. 2023;18(3):213-225. DOI: 10.20858/tp.2023.18.3.18
Bondemark A, Westermark K, Gordon A. Barriers to spurring innovation in Swedish transport infrastructure construction. Case Studies on Transport Policy. 2024;15:101041. DOI: 10.1016/j.cstp.2023.101041
Hudenko J. Track access charges in freight transport. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2019. https://www.cambridgescholars.com
Leontief W. Input-output economics. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; 1986. https://books.google.com
Bae H, Cho B, Kang Y. A study on standardizing performance indicators for local social enterprises: Development and weight derivation of indicators using the IPOO model. Social Standards Certification Safety. 2024;14(4):146-162. DOI: 10.34139/jscs.2024.14.4.146
Kustova I, Hudenko J, Lace N. A systematic review of sustainability criteria in infrastructure development. Sustainability. 2024;16:4564. DOI: 10.3390/su16114564
Kustova I, Hudenko J, Ricci S, Lace N. Application of sustainable infrastructure criteria at publicly owned infrastructure management companies. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity. 2025;11(4):100689. DOI: 10.1016/j.joitmc.2025.100689
Mørch M, Søvik A. A systematic account of the argumentative role of thought experiments. Organon F. 2024;31(1):2-21. DOI: 10.31577/orgf.2024.31101
Sartori L. Putting the “experiment” back into the “thought experiment”. Synthese. 2023;201:34. DOI: 10.1007/s11229-022-04011-3
Soltani A. About thought experiment. Phys Astron. 2021;Version 1. DOI: 10.33774/coe-2021-d6cpp
Latvijas dzelzcels. Annual report. 2013. https://www.ldz.lv/sites/default/files/LDZ_parskats_2013_LV.pdf
Latvijas dzelzcels. UX standard for passenger infrastructure. 2025. https://www.ldz.lv/lv/pasazieru-infrastrukturas-universala-dizaina-standarts
Bi W, Linkov I, MacAskill K. Supporting urban sustainability through resilient rail transit systems. Cities. 2025;167:106373. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106373
Abbas J, et al. Mega-infrastructure development, tourism sustainability and quality of life assessment at world heritage sites: Catering to COVID-19 challenges. Kybernetes. 2025;54(4):1993-2018. DOI: 10.1108/K-07-2023-1345
Farooq MA, et al. Experimental and computational analyses of sustainable approaches in railways. Infrastructures. 2024;9(3):53. DOI: 10.3390/infrastructures9030053
European Parliament and Council of the European Union. Regulation (EU) 2020/852. 2020. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32020R0852
Smyth AJ, Dumanski J. A framework for evaluating sustainable land management. Canadian Journal of Soil Science. 1995;75(4):401-413. DOI: 10.4141/cjss95-059
Kramar R. Sustainable human resource management: Six defining characteristics. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources. 2022;60:146-170. DOI: 10.1111/1744-7941.12321
Ricciardi G, Ellena M, Barbato G, Alcaras E, et al. Risk assessment of national railway infrastructure due to sea-level rise: an application of a methodological framework in Italian coastal railways. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 2024;196:822. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-024-12942-2
Sobrie L, Verschelde M. Real-time decision support for human–machine interaction in digital railway control rooms. Decision Support Systems. 2024;181:114216. DOI: 10.1016/j.dss.2024.114216
Love PED, Zhou J, Matthews J, Lavender M, et al. Managing rail infrastructure for a digital future: future-proofing of asset information. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. 2018;110:161-176. DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.02.014
Liu Z, Han F, Wang C. Research on the optimization algorithm of route scheme in western mountainous areas based on the concept of regional coordinated development. Journal of Railway Science and Engineering. 2024;21(6):2476-2487. DOI: 10.19713/j.cnki.43-1423/u.T20231421
Tartaglia M, Fiduccia A, Martini S, Ravagnan C, et al. Mapping the potential territorial impact of railways: high speed rail and territorial sensitivity of Italian regions. In: Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on High-Speed Rail Socioeconomic Impacts (IW-HSR). 2024. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-82528-6_15
Quattrone M, Tomaselli G, Riguccio L, Russo P. Assessment of the territorial suitability for the creation of the greenways networks: methodological application in the Sicilian landscape context. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2017;48(4). DOI: 10.4081/jae.2017.696
Kogia N, Papafotiou M, Bougiatioti F. The Green Line: converting the Athens rail network into a biodiversity corridor. Acta Horticulturae. 2025;1429:395-404. DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1429.48
Jägare V, Juntti U, Garmabaki AHS. Roadmap for implementing climate adaptation innovations in railway. International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management. 2024. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13198-024-02581-8
Huang Q, Pei M, Liu X, Wei Y. Design and construction of super-long span bridges in China: review and future perspectives. Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering. 2020;14:803-838. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11709-020-0644-1
Oinam Y, Bae Y, Y NH, Lee C, et al. Innovative cementless high-strength concrete railway sleeper: design and structural performance. Engineering Structures. 2025;343(Pt A):121066. DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121066
Godson MD, Rajesh BG, Kumar P. Electric arc furnace slag – a prospective alternative for railway sub-ballast layer. Construction and Building Materials. 2025;483:141702. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2025.141702
Heydari H, Zakeri JA, Noori AS. Material-oriented maintenance of railway track using under sleeper pad (USP). International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology. 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijtst.2025.01.016
Huang Y, Zhang Z, Hu H. Risk propagation mechanisms in railway systems under extreme weather: a knowledge graph-based unsupervised causation chain approach. Reliability Engineering & System Safety. 2025;260:110976. DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2025.110976
Ouyang R, Luo J, Zhu S, Chen M, et al. Surrogate model construction and improved detection of rail corrugation in high-speed railways based on a hybrid neural network. Engineering Structures. 2025;342:120949. DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.120949
Li X, Yang Y, Li Z, He H. Research on collaborative optimization strategy of railway signal nonlinear control system based on BBO algorithm and multi-objective optimization. International Journal of Cognitive Computing in Engineering. 2025;6:617-627. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcce.2025.05.005
Urassa P, Olsson NOE, Lau A, Mandhaniya P, et al. Performance measurement in railway remote driving implementations. IET Intelligent Transport Systems. 2024;18(12):2759-2774. https://ietresearch-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.resursi.rtu.lv/DOI/10.1049/itr2.12580
Malekzadeh MZ, Santarremigia FE, Molero GD, Malviya AK, et al. A methodological framework based on a quantitative assessment of new technologies to boost the interoperability of railway services. Sustainability. 2023;15(13):10636. DOI: 10.3390/su151310636
Ozer DG. Enhancing urban mobility: bicycle and rail transport integration in Istanbul's districts. Civil Engineering and Architecture. 2025;13(1):210-223. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2025.130112
Kuhlmann C. Transformation in historic cities: opportunities and limitations. Forum Stadt. 2025;52(1):14-26.
Szmel D, Zablocki W, Ilczuk P, Kochan A. Method for selecting the safety integrity level for the control-command and signaling functions. Sustainability. 2019;11(24):7062. DOI: 10.3390/su11247062
Pagliara F, El-Ansari W, Henke I. A methodology to estimate the benefits and costs of stakeholder engagement in a transport decision-making process. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment. 2023;14(2):326-341. DOI: 10.1108/SASBE-03-2023-0049
Jillella SSK, Matan A, Newman P. Participatory sustainability approach to value capture-based urban rail financing in India through deliberated stakeholder engagement. Sustainability. 2015;7(7):8091-8115. DOI: 10.3390/su7078091
Nik-Bakht M, El-Diraby TE. Beyond chatter: profiling community discussion networks in urban infrastructure projects. Journal of Infrastructure Systems. 2020;26(3). DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)IS.1943-555X.0000555
Zhang J, Cheng L, Shao J, Philbin SP, et al. Early warning system for determining the ecological health status of major railroad projects. Ecological Indicators. 2024;166:112318. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112318
Tadic S, Kalem A, Krstic M, Čabric N, et al. Benchmarking analysis of railway infrastructure managers: a hybrid principal component analysis (PCA), grey best–worst method (G-BWM), and assurance region data envelopment analysis (AR-DEA) model. Mathematics. 2025;13(5):830. DOI: 10.3390/math13050830
Saxena A, Reddy YM, Yadav SA, Rajalakshmi B, et al. Energy harvesting from railway tracks: technologies and applications. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Trends in Quantum Computing and Emerging Business Technologies (TQCEBT). 2024. p. 1-6. DOI: 10.1109/TQCEBT59414.2024.10545089
Ma Q, Yang Z, Lei Z, et al. Sizing of renewable energy and energy storage in electrified railway considering multi-application requirements. In: Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS). 2022. DOI: 10.1109/ICEMS56177.2022.9982844
Ge B, Fan Z, Liu J. Two-stage multi-objective optimization of solar roof design for railway-station represented large-space public buildings considering thermal efficiency, carbon emissions, and daylighting. Building and Environment. 2025;280:113084. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113084
Chen A, Qi W, Du Q, Hou S, et al. Laboratory and field evaluation of cement-stabilized phyllite for sustainable railway subgrades. Buildings. 2025;15(17):3151. DOI: 10.3390/buildings15173151
Nicod L, Clement P. Europe’s Rail FP4–Rail4EARTH sustainable rail systems progress point of the European R&D program. In: Transport Transitions: Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility. 2025. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-89444-2_5
Landgraf M, Zeiner M, Knabl D, Corman F. Environmental impacts and associated costs of railway turnouts based on Austrian data. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. 2022;103:103168. DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2021.103168
De Bortoli A, Bouhaya L, Feraille A. A life cycle model for high-speed rail infrastructure: environmental inventories and assessment of the Tours–Bordeaux railway in France. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 2020;25(4):814-830. DOI: 10.1007/s11367-019-01727-2
Malekzadeh MZ, Santarremigia FE, Molero GD, Malviya AK, et al. A methodological framework based on a quantitative assessment of new technologies to boost the interoperability of railway services. Sustainability. 2023;15(13):10636. DOI: 10.3390/su151310636
Payrani G, Marocco P, Gandiglio M, Cherchi P, et al. Techno-economic modeling framework to assess the feasibility of hydrogen-powered trains on non-electrified routes. Journal of Power Sources. 2025;652:237677. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.237677
Silva C, Marques C, Rapose M, Soares A. Smart and sustainable mobility adaptation toward the energy transition. In: Technologies for Integrated Energy Systems and Networks. 2022. DOI: 10.1002/9783527833634.ch7
Zanelli F, Debattisti N, Mauri M, Argentino A, et al. Development and field validation of wireless sensors for railway bridge modal identification. Applied Sciences. 2023;13(6):3620. DOI: 10.3390/app13063620
Yan TH, Hoelzl C, Corman F, Chatzi E, et al. Integration of on-board monitoring data into infrastructure management for effective decision-making in railway maintenance. Railway Engineering Science. 2025;33(5). DOI: 10.1007/s40534-024-00369-x
Xu Q, Liu Y, Li S. Design and implementation of intelligent ATC equipment for urban railways. In: Proceedings of the Asia-Pacific Conference on Image Processing, Electronics and Computers (IPEC). 2024. DOI: 10.1109/IPEC61310.2024.00122
Cao L. Road condition judgment system of railway transportation based on artificial intelligence recognition technology. International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management. 2022;14:718-727. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13198-021-01509-w
Tafur A, Argyroudis SA, Mitoulis SA, Padgett JE. Climate-resilient railway networks: a resource-aware framework. Communications Engineering. 2025;4:157. DOI: 10.1038/s44172-025-00493-4
Qi W, Liu M, Cao Y, Luo Q, et al. Hydraulic design strategies for resilient slab track under extreme rainfall events. Buildings. 2025;15(11):1937. DOI: 10.3390/buildings15111937
Mondal B, Samanta G. Suburban railways, commuting, and metropolitan expansion. In: Urban Book Series. 2021. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-78350-1_2
Yu PY, Hsu YT. Impact of railway grade separation: aspects of real estate prices and gentrification. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. 2025;144(1):104769. DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2025.104769
Tsai IC. Inter-regional rail travel and housing markets connectedness between London and other regions. Journal of Transport Geography. 2024;121:104044. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2024.104044
Thiel P. The impact of Germany’s railroad noise protection act on house values. Journal of Real Estate Research. 2024:1-30. DOI: 10.1080/08965803.2024.2419313
Otsuka N, Reeve A. Railway stations as public space: how to promote rail journeys via multi-functional railway stations. European Planning Studies. 2024;32(5). DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2023.2246508
Liu C, Bardaka E. Exploring the effects of urban rail on the survival of nearby businesses. Transport Policy. 2025;169(C):209-226. DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.04.011
Zhang J, Li C, Liu H, Duan C, et al. Diversity characteristics and influencing factors of pollinating insects in urban green corridors in Hefei City. Linye Kexue (Scientia Silvae Sinicae). 2025;61(6):147-158. DOI: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20240086
Fosalau CM, Rosu L, Iatu C, Dinter OV, et al. Mapping urban changes through the spatio-temporal analysis of vegetation and built-up areas in Iași, Romania. Sustainability. 2025;17(11):11. DOI: 10.3390/su17010011
Copyright (c) 2026 Ieva Kustova, Justina Hudenko, Stefano Ricci, Natalja Lace
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
