The Use of BIM in Railway Projects

The use of BIM (building information modeling) for building projects since the early 2000s has been so successful that it has been transferred to infrastructure projects. In most developed countries, project owners are undergoing a digital transition, to meet the ever-increasing environmental and economic challenges of projects. Rail projects are not excluded in this perspective, and BIM is increasingly requested to meet the challenges of complex rail projects. The rail industry is booming in both developed and developing countries, but still faces many problems in collaboration and resource alignment, resulting in decreased productivity and efficiency. Effective implementation of BIM in the sector, i.e., considering the three aspects of process, people, and technology, could alleviate these problems. This study aims to conduct a critical review of the existing literature on the use of BIM in railway projects. A state of the art in the uses of BIM for the railway sector is first presented, through case studies in different countries. The benefits identified in this context are then noted, according to their occurrences in the literature. Limitations and challenges facing the adoption of BIM for railway projects are also identified and classified. Finally, viable solutions are proposed to address the identified challenges and mitigate the limitations.