Transport infrastructure brings together conventional groundwork and innovative technologies in order to improve various aspects of transport system management and control. It enables anticipatory maintenance, planning and scheduling, resource management and aims to improve reliability and safety, increased capacity and asset utilization, better energy efficiency and lower emissions, higher customer service levels and increased economic feasibility. Transport infrastructures have long service life and great costs of building, manning, operating and maintaining throughout their life. Innovation and technology shifts proved to be important factors determining great changes in infrastructure potential and even determine its obsolescence. It is regarded as a concern throughout infrastructure’s entire life cycle and reflects changes in expectation regarding performances in functioning, safety and environmental effects.
Performance and failure are illustrated conceptually and represented in a simplified form considering the evolution of technology, the influence of innovation breeding new generation rail infrastructure, all the way through infrastructure’s service life.
According to the identified particularities, recommendations are to be made in order to insure a best practice in lifecycle management and transport infrastructure renewal in the context of improved reliability, safety and efficiency.