A transportation infrastructure designed to last must be resilient throughout its entire life cycle
Rising demand, aging infrastructure, climate risks, and cybersecurity threats call for a new approach to the planning, construction, and maintenance of transportation networks
In today's world, it is no longer enough for transportation systems to simply enable mobility; they must also reliably maintain it under increasingly extreme and volatile conditions. The concept that frames every decision is transition.
Whether transportation networks meet the requirements placed on them is no longer determined solely at the time of construction, but rather over their entire life cycle. The challenges involved must be consistently taken into account from the very beginning. These include, in particular,:
- Demographic shifts – Rising traffic volumes and urbanization are increasingly leading to bottlenecks.
- Aging infrastructure – A large portion of the transportation infrastructure is nearing the end of its technical service life.
- Digital evolution – Alongside concrete and steel, digital tools and systems now form the backbone of the planning, construction, and operation of transportation networks.
- Climate change – Structures must also be able to withstand extreme weather events.
- Resilience – There is a growing awareness of the fundamental importance of transportation systems for society, the economy, and safety.
From bottlenecks to new capacity
Passenger traffic in the EU-27 has risen significantly in recent decades and, according to figures from the European Environment Agency, reached a peak of around six trillion passenger-kilometers in 2019; by 2022, it had already returned to pre-COVID levels. Rail passenger traffic is also growing: According to Eurostat, 443 billion passenger-kilometers were traveled by rail in the EU in 2024—5.8% more than in 2023 and the highest figure since data collection began in 2004.
However, this rising demand is constrained by the physical limitations of the infrastructure. In addition, urbanization is causing bottlenecks in rail and road corridors worldwide.
At the same time, numerous critical structures are currently reaching the end of their intended technical service life or have already exceeded it. According to Europe’s Rail, for example, a large proportion of Europe’s railway tunnels and bridges are over 50 years old. They were therefore built in accordance with regulations and standards that no longer meet today’s stricter requirements.
In this situation, decisions regarding the expansion, maintenance, renewal, or replacement of transportation infrastructure must not be based on assumptions. Rather, precise insights into the condition, capacity, and lifecycle of the facilities are needed through data modeling of portfolios. By understanding how wear and tear, risk of failure, performance, and life-cycle costs are interrelated, planners can prioritize maintenance measures and investments based on data and, using predictive scenarios and facility simulations, visualize current operations and determine how close a transportation network is to its capacity limits.
Project example: West Link (Västlänken), Sweden
The conversion to a through station has unlocked previously untapped capacity for the entire region. The project demonstrates that, rather than making selective improvements, it is often more efficient to redesign infrastructure to meet future demand.
Digital models as the foundation for resilient infrastructure
The digital aspect of infrastructure continues to grow in importance for maintenance, operations, and planning – and thus for the resilience of transportation networks.
Tools such as Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems and digital twins not only digitize processes but also transform the decision-making hierarchy.
Project example: Randselva Bridge, Norway
The construction process relied exclusively on Building Information Modeling (BIM). This ensured that all parties involved worked from a single, conflict-free source of information.
The results: construction errors were significantly reduced, and a comprehensive digital twin was created that will shape the maintenance strategy for decades to come.
Increasing the capacity and performance of existing rail networks increasingly requires technological transformations such as the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). However, migration involves much more than simply introducing a new technology: it requires long-term planning and coordination of infrastructure, renewal measures, and investments across different life cycles.
This makes the ERTMS migration a key asset management and portfolio planning task.
Project example: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)
An optimized migration plan thus reduced peak loads and investment costs by 45%.
This demonstrates that when technological transformation, data-driven portfolio management, and lifecycle planning are combined, network capacity, investments, and asset development can be aligned with one another over the long term.
Another major aspect of digital transformation is the migration to the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The goal of standardizing control systems is complicated by sometimes conflicting constraints related to budget, availability, and technological maturity. By using a data-driven approach to identify these constraints, an optimized migration plan was developed that reduced peak loads and cut investment costs by 45%. This demonstrates that when technological transformation is planned from a lifecycle perspective, both financial and operational resilience can be achieved.
Transport systems are the foundation of safety and economic growth
Given the increasing interdependence of digital systems and physical control mechanisms, infrastructure must be resilient, including against cybersecurity threats, disruptive occurrences, and systemic vulnerabilities. The European Parliament explicitly emphasizes that the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is of crucial importance for the EU’s economic stability, resilience, and security. As part of the EU Military Mobility Strategy, earmarked funds totaling approximately 1.7 billion euros were allocated for military mobility for the first time.
To ensure the continuity of mobility and logistics, an integrated security philosophy is required that breaks down the silos between civilian and military capabilities. Simulations of complex dynamic systems demonstrate how networks function under various future conditions, ranging from changing planning requirements to severe financial constraints. In the context of “Total Defense,” this allows for an assessment of how civilian infrastructure can support logistics under stress. As a result, national resilience is firmly integrated into the transportation network.
Withstanding climate risks, supporting environmental sustainability
Transportation systems also need resilience to withstand increasingly heavy rainfall, flooding, and heat waves. However, this is not just about responding to climate change, but also about taking responsibility for greater sustainability and a circular economy.
Project Example: Tampere Tram, Finland
It became the first tram system in the country to receive BREEAM Infrastructure certification, demonstrating that modern infrastructure can be high-performing while also contributing to the circular economy and environmental sustainability.
Why AFRY
We take an interdisciplinary approach to create functional, resilient, and attractive environments. In doing so, we always strive to contribute to a more sustainable transportation infrastructure that enhances the safety and efficiency of transportation – and, by extension, society as a whole.
