THE ROLE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ENSURING RAILWAY TRANSPORT SAFETY

Abstract

The rapid integration of digital technologies—encompassing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Twins (DT), and the Internet of Things (IoT)-is fundamentally transforming railway transport safety. This paper presents a critical scientific literature review of recent peer-reviewed advancements in digital railway safety systems, evaluating their operational efficacy, implementation challenges, and theoretical boundaries. The review synthesizes findings on AI-driven predictive maintenance, which transitions railways from reactive troubleshooting to continuous condition-based monitoring, alongside the use of Digital Twins for risk-free virtual simulations. Furthermore, the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) in intelligent signalling systems, such as the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), is examined through the lens of emerging cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Despite significant technological maturation, a critical research gap persists regarding the formal regulatory certification of probabilistic machine learning algorithms for high Safety Integrity Level (SIL) applications. The study concludes that while digital technologies dramatically enhance anomaly detection and system resilience, their integration into autonomous, safety-critical environments relies heavily on the future development of Explainable AI (XAI) validation frameworks and holistic IT-OT cybersecurity models.