Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure in India: Are We There Yet?

Transportation is a critical lifeline to sustain human lives and interactions during emergencies, facilitating the movement of commodities and services. However, the interconnected network system serving the affected region is vulnerable to disruptions during these events. Damaged network systems impede emergency response efforts and prevent the timely dispatch of personnel and supplies. Extreme weather events have increased significantly in recent years, and with the interdependency on transportation expected to grow, there is significant emphasis on the resilience of transportation systems. Studying the resilience of transportation systems for a region requires investigating a few fundamental research questions: (i) What are the dimensions of resilience in the transportation sector? (ii) What is the current state of research on integrating resilience into transport sectors? (iii) What are the gaps and barriers to attaining resilience? (iv) What is the scope of future research on improving the resilience of the transportation system? The purpose of this study is to provide the answers to these pertinent questions. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review to derive an in-depth understanding of integrating resilience into the transportation sector. Focusing on India’s transportation system, the study gives insight into its transportation sector and identifies critical opportunities for advancement. The review focuses on a specific timeframe to select relevant papers. The assessment and findings provide a greater understanding of the extent of resilience integration in India’s transport sector and its deficiencies.