This book discusses policy instruments for sustainable infrastructure developments. Railways are one of the most important developmental instruments of a region, province, or country. They play a crucial role in economic development, urban growth, urban mobility, regional susceptibility, market integration, and world trade. Railways are an integral part of regional and urban development, both in terms of freight and passenger transport. By offering case studies from various regions and cities in South Asia, this book examines the evolution of railway transportation and the impact of these infrastructure projects on regional and urban development. It examines the interactions between evolving infrastructures and competing demands and considers the negative and positive externalities of railway transportation for people, places, and locations. The contributions analyze issues such as network infrastructure planning and technological development, passenger mobility and satisfaction, vulnerability to environmental impacts, and cross-border trade.

Saptarshi Mitra is Assistant Professor at the Department of Geography and Disaster Management of the University of Tripura in Agartala, India, Coordinator of the Regional Planning and Urban & Rural Development Laboratory, and Researcher on projects in the field of planning and development. Sumana Bandyopadhyay is Professor at the Department of Geography of University of Calcutta in India, specialized in Urban Geography, Regional and Environmental Planning. She is presently the President of the Indian Regional Science Association. Her present research areas are urban public space, neoliberal urban transformations, ecological resilience and urban heritage. Her publications are largely in the field of urban studies. Stabak Roy works as Doctoral Researcher at the Regional Planning and Urban & Rural Development Laboratory, Department of Geography and Disaster Management, Tripura University, India. Mr. Roy conducts research on Railway Geography, Railway Infrastructure Planning and Management, and Transport Planning and Tourism. Tomaz P. Dentinho is Professor of Regional, Environmental and Agriculture Economics at the University of Azores, Portugal, and is Director of the Regional Cooperation Research Programme at the South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), a Brussels based think tank. Dr. Dentinho is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Regional Science Policy and Practice.