Reliability and Resilience of the Railway System
The European railway network is undergoing modernization through investments in interoperable and signalling systems such as ETCS. At the same time, the simplification of infrastructure introduces new risks concerning its availability. This paper focuses on the reliability and resilience of the railway system in the face of extraordinary events such as natural disasters, accidents, cyber threats, or planned closures. It highlights how even a small number of outages can completely paralyze the network. The authors explore the railway’s ability to respond swiftly, reroute traffic effectively, and maintain uninterrupted transport. The aim is to ensure that railways can continue to serve as the backbone of the transport system even under crisis conditions.