Conceptualising social sustainability across the railway infrastructure lifecycle: a systematic review of indicators

Railway infrastructure development can contribute to social sustainability by supporting inclusive development, promoting community comfort, and ensuring societal resilience. However, past developments have focused on the economic and environmental aspects, sidelining the social dimension. This study seeks to address the current gap by developing a set of social sustainability indicators, with a framework designed for application within the railway industry. A systematic literature review of 145 peer-reviewed articles was conducted, supported by thematic analysis and descriptive statistics that identified and categorised 45 sub-indicators into 15 key social sustainability indicators. These indicators form the basis of the proposed Railway Infrastructure Lifecycle-based Social Sustainability Indicator (RaSSI) framework. The RaSSI framework provides a structured and inclusive approach to evaluating social aspects, addressing the needs, values, and rights of all affected populations. Serving as a strategic guide, the framework also supports the valuation, enhancement, and institutionalisation of social sustainability within the existing industry practices.