Railway Maintenance: A Mirror of Infrastructure Priorities Across Countries

The analysis of spending on railway infrastructure maintenance over the period 2019–2023 showshow the stability, efficiency, and safety of rail transport are closely linked to the continuity ofinvestments, which are often less visible than those for new construction but are essential to ensureday-to-day operations and the resilience of the system. Reading the data highlights a certain regularityin countries with advanced railway infrastructure, but also strong disparities between OECDeconomies and non-member countries, the latter often showing discontinuities, very low values, anda stronger dependence on domestic political and financial dynamics.