Design of a Framework for Integrating Environmentally Sustainable Design Principles and Requirements in Train Modernization Projects

Willem Haanstra, Alberto Martinetti, Jan Braaksma and Leo van Dongen
Additional contact information
Willem Haanstra: Department of Design Production & Management, University of Twente, De Horst 2, 7522 LW Enschede, The Netherlands
Alberto Martinetti: Department of Design Production & Management, University of Twente, De Horst 2, 7522 LW Enschede, The Netherlands
Jan Braaksma: Department of Design Production & Management, University of Twente, De Horst 2, 7522 LW Enschede, The Netherlands
Leo van Dongen: Department of Design Production & Management, University of Twente, De Horst 2, 7522 LW Enschede, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 15, 1-20

Abstract: Environmental sustainability is an increasingly important subject in the railway sector. Literature has revealed that transportation companies target multiple sustainability-related improvement areas and follow different strategies to improve in these. For railway operators, train modernization provides key opportunities for technical, financial, and environmental improvements halfway through the lifecycle. Using design science research, a framework was developed that is aimed at integrating sustainable design principles and sustainability-focused requirements in train modernization. The framework was tested and demonstrated by means of application to the train modernization project of an intercity train at the Nederlandse Spoorwegen in the Netherlands. The results reveal three key design mechanisms for sustainable modernization frameworks. Firstly, sustainability should be considered as early as possible in the design process. Secondly, such frameworks require efforts to simplify the way sustainability principles and impacts are considered, being careful not to oversimplify. Thirdly, the use of sustainability-focused requirements and budgets facilitate the process of prioritizing design decisions in relation to the effects they have on various environmental impacts. The design process of the framework not only provides a better understanding of the challenge of integrating sustainability, it also presents a generalizable approach that can be adapted by other organizations in the transportation sector.

Keywords: train modernization; sustainability; EcoDesign; railways; transportation; Netherlands (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/15/6075/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/15/6075/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:15:p:6075-:d:391129

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().