This paper summarizes a broad literature review on system resilience. After these interpretations of resilience are considered, a definition of resilience in the context of freight transportation systems is provided. The definition of resilience offered here captures the interactions between managing organizations—namely, state departments of transportation, the infrastructure, and users—which is critical considering that the freight transportation system exists to support economic activity and production. A list of properties of freight transportation system resilience is outlined. These properties of resilience can contribute to the overall ability of the freight transportation system to recover from disruptions, whether exhibited at the infrastructure, managing organization, or user dimension. This contribution provides a framework that can serve as a starting point for future research, offering a shared language that promotes a more structured conversation about freight transportation resilience.

Digital Twins (DTs) are gaining interest among urban planners and city authorities, but a notable gap exists in fully understanding and effectively applying them to complex and multifaceted transport planning processes. This review is an in-depth exploration of the promising concept of DTs and its implications for transport planning—its current applications and conceptualisations within the domain, focusing on their distinction from traditional transport models and identifying critical areas for further DT development. The review was conducted per PRISMA guidelines to identify 136 relevant studies from 2000 to 2024. Over three-quarters of the articles were published after 2021, indicating a growing focus on digital twins in transport planning. A classical five-component definition of DT, consisting of physical, digital, data model, service and connection components, was adapted and used to synthesise key components of the DTs presented in the studies. Simulations were the most common “data model,” and 31% of studies do not present insight into what “services” could be derived from proposed DTs, indicating a top-down approach to DT development. A prevalent misapplication of the DT concept was observed where most studies conflated basic digital models or shadows as DTs without fully meeting the criteria of real-time data integration or bi-directional interaction with physical systems. Interestingly, mature DTs with real-time data and bidirectional interaction were associated with smaller geographical systems and shorter time-range predictions. This suggested that maturity in transport planning DTs depends not only on technological capabilities but also on the spatiotemporal dimension of the system. The review concludes by suggesting directions towards a revised DT maturity, highlighting the level of maturity needed for “usable DTs”, and advocating the need for a bottom-up approach to DT development rather than the top-down one currently adopted by most studies.

Determining the factors leading to cost inaccuracy in infrastructure projects relates to sustainability by improving the cost performance of the projects (economic sustainability) and reducing the waste of available resources (environmental sustainability). This study investigates the effects of various factors affecting the cost performance of large-scale road projects in Norway in both the planning and construction phases. To this aim, a quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey was employed to understand the attitude of practitioners towards various factors causing cost increases. An advanced multivariate statistical approach of Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Relative Importance Index (RII) was utilized to analyze the questionnaire responses. The results of the RII analysis show that local wishes, defective estimations, and long processing times had the most impact on the cost increase during the planning phase. At the same time, scope changes, market conditions, and unforeseen ground conditions were the most influential parameters in the construction phase. Moreover, the results obtained from PLS-SEM reveal that external related factors had the most influence among the other grouped factors (i.e., pre-construction, project management and contractual relationship, contractor’s site management, and external) on cost overrun during the construction phase. Increasing the knowledge of these factors will allow for developing relevant project management approaches targeted at improving economic and environmental sustainability within both the planning and construction phases.