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Advanced Railway Infrastructures Engineering: Toward Sustainable Transport

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 January 2026) | Viewed by 5121

Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: railway design and maintenance; transport engineering; transportation noise; vibration analysis; stray current at track infrastructure; rail infrastructure monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: railway design and maintenance; transport engineering; transportation noise; vibration analysis; rail infrastructure monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: railway design and maintenance; transport engineering; stray current at track infrastructure; stray current monitoring and measurement; corrosion detection at urban track
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

To remain competitive with other modes of transportation, rail transport and infrastructure are subject to increasingly stringent requirements. In addition to speed and capacity, rail infrastructure must also meet high levels of resilience, reliability and a low environmental footprint. To meet these requirements, challenges such as noise and vibration reduction, stray current mitigation, and climate resistance have to be addressed. To tackle these challenges, new technologies and innovations that improve track characteristics have to be implemented in construction or reconstruction processes. In addition, modern monitoring methods that replace conventional approaches must be used to ensure the predictive maintenance of rail infrastructure systems.

This Special Issue, entitled "Advanced Railway Infrastructures Engineering: Toward Sustainable Transport", deals with advances in railway engineering to promote sustainable transportation goals. The focus is on improving efficiency, safety, and environmental performance through innovative techniques and technologies. It builds upon the existing literature in the field of railway engineering and sustainable transport, and summarizes findings from various disciplines such as civil engineering, transport planning, electrical engineering, and environmental science. The issue discusses sustainable mobility by highlighting challenges, opportunities, and innovations in the development of railway infrastructure.

This Special Issue deals with topics related to the modernization of railway infrastructure and the application of new methods of monitoring and maintenance. Topics can include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • New technologies to ensure sustainable rail infrastructure,
  • Noise and vibration evaluation on rail infrastructure,
  • Corrosion and stray currents on rail infrastructure,
  • Urban rail infrastructure monitoring and maintenance,
  • Effects of climate change on different types of permanent way structures,
  • New methods for continuous monitoring and predictive maintenance.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Stjepan Lakušić
Dr. Ivo Haladin
Dr. Katarina Vranešić
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • railway infrastructure
  • sustainable transport
  • climate resilience
  • track monitoring
  • environmental performance
  • noise and vibration
  • corrosion
  • stray current

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 6070 KB  
Article
Wide-Band Harmonic Interaction and Characteristic Analysis of Flexible Cooperative Traction Power Supply System
by Ye Peng, Mingli Wu, Guotao Cao, Qiujiang Liu, Tingting He, Peng Peng and Dejian Kang
Sustainability 2026, 18(7), 3607; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073607 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 583
Abstract
Integrating renewable energy systems (RES) and hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) into railway traction power supply systems represents a critical pathway toward low-carbon and sustainable railway transportation as it enables the utilization of clean energy and enhances energy efficiency. However, this integration introduces [...] Read more.
Integrating renewable energy systems (RES) and hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) into railway traction power supply systems represents a critical pathway toward low-carbon and sustainable railway transportation as it enables the utilization of clean energy and enhances energy efficiency. However, this integration introduces new harmonic resonance challenges that require systematic analysis. To quantitatively analyze these harmonic resonance issues, this paper studies a flexible cooperative traction power supply system (FCTPSS) integrated with RES and HESS. Based on harmonic transmission theory, mathematical models of harmonic transmission for both the traction power supply system (TPSS) and the FCTPSS are established. Simulation models of the TPSS and FCTPSS are developed in MATLAB2021b/Simulink. Using these simulation models, the harmonic transmission characteristics of the TPSS and FCTPSS are compared and analyzed. The results indicate that the position of the locomotive and the access position of RES and HESS influence the harmonic transmission characteristics. Importantly, integrating RES and HESS shifts the resonant frequency to higher orders and effectively alleviates resonance issues, thereby improving power quality and supporting the reliable operation of sustainable railway systems. These findings offer valuable design guidance for incorporating RES and HESS into traction power supply systems to facilitate the transition toward greener and more sustainable rail transportation. Full article
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23 pages, 20222 KB  
Article
Metro-Induced Vibration Wave Propagation and Rail Defect Diagnostics: Integrated Experimental Measurements and Finite Element Modelling
by Haniye Ghafouri Rouzbahani, Francesco Marangon, Thomas Mayer, Dino Velic and Ferdinand Pospischil
Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2517; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052517 - 4 Mar 2026
Viewed by 627
Abstract
Railway transport is increasingly promoted as a sustainable and low-carbon mode of transportation. However, track-induced vibration propagation remains a significant challenge, particularly in metro systems situated near residential areas, where vibrations can transmit through the infrastructure into nearby buildings, disturbing residents and damaging [...] Read more.
Railway transport is increasingly promoted as a sustainable and low-carbon mode of transportation. However, track-induced vibration propagation remains a significant challenge, particularly in metro systems situated near residential areas, where vibrations can transmit through the infrastructure into nearby buildings, disturbing residents and damaging structures. This study aimed to evaluate the cause of the significantly different vibration impact on nearby buildings caused by two nominally identical adjacent slab tracks on a metro line in Austria. Controlled weight drop tests were carried out in both track directions, and accelerations were measured to characterize wave transmission and energy dissipation. The data were processed using frequency response functions and Short-Time Fourier Transform to extract time–frequency signatures, modal parameters, and propagation delays. A three-dimensional finite element model of the railway superstructure was then calibrated against the experimental modal properties and transfer functions and used to simulate cracking or stiffness loss in the sleeper–slab region. The simulations reproduced the observed increase in slab acceleration and underground strain energy, linking the anomalous vibration transmission to hidden stiffness loss rather than to global design differences. Overall, the study demonstrates that combining impact testing, advanced signal processing, and calibrated finite element modelling provides an effective framework for diagnosing track defects and guiding the design and maintenance of more sustainable, low-vibration urban rail infrastructure. Full article
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20 pages, 3052 KB  
Article
Hydrogen-Enabled Microgrids for Railway Applications: A Seasonal Energy Storage Solution for Switch-Point Heating
by Gerhard Fritscher, Christoph Steindl, Jasmin Helnwein and Julian Heger
Sustainability 2025, 17(19), 8664; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198664 - 26 Sep 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1556
Abstract
Switch-point heating systems are essential for railway reliability and safety in winter, but present logistical and economic challenges in remote regions. This study presents a novel application of a hydrogen-enabled microgrid as an off-grid energy solution for powering a switch-point heating system at [...] Read more.
Switch-point heating systems are essential for railway reliability and safety in winter, but present logistical and economic challenges in remote regions. This study presents a novel application of a hydrogen-enabled microgrid as an off-grid energy solution for powering a switch-point heating system at a rural Austrian railway station, offering an alternative to conventional grid-based electricity with a specific focus on enhancing the share of renewable energy sources. The proposed system integrates photovoltaics (PV), optional wind energy, and hydrogen storage to address the seasonal mismatch between a high energy supply in the summer and peak winter demand. Three energy supply scenarios are analysed and compared based on local conditions, technical simplicity, and economic viability. Energy flow modelling based on site-specific climate and operational data is used to determine hydrogen production rates, storage capacity requirements and system sizing. A comprehensive cost analysis of all major subsystems is conducted to assess economic viability. The study demonstrates that hydrogen is a highly effective solution for seasonal energy storage, with a PV-only configuration emerging as the most suitable option under current site conditions. Thus, it offers a replicable framework for decarbonising critical stationary railway infrastructure. Full article
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