The role of artificial intelligence systems in the post-war modernisation of Ukraine’s railway transport infrastructure

The article examines the role of artificial intelligence systems in the post-war modernisation of Ukraine’s railway infrastructure as a component of the broader transformation of the transport system of our state. It is substantiated that the use of AI in this field cannot be reduced merely to technological renewal or the provision of a digital service, since railway transport belongs to high-risk infrastructure, the stable functioning of which affects transport safety, economic resilience, the logistical connectivity of the territory, export capacity and Ukraine’s European integration. The concept of an artificial intelligence system is analysed in the context of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 and the Concept for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in Ukraine. The article identifies certain elements of the potential of AI that may ensure the transition from a reactive model of railway operation to a preventive, risk-oriented management model, which involves the prediction of technical failures, obstacle detection, support for dispatching decisions, timetable optimisation, and monitoring of tracks, rolling stock, energy, signalling and information systems. Particular attention is paid to the economic-law dimension of regulating the implementation of AI technologies, including investment preconditions, contractual models for involving private technology companies and international partners, issues of access to data, maintenance services, cybersecurity, algorithmic audit and allocation of liability. The expediency of applying a phased risk-oriented approach to the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in the transport sector is substantiated. Under this approach, the classification of AI systems, as well as the requirements for their admission, control and liability, should be determined depending on the degree of their impact on the safety of Ukraine’s transport infrastructure. Low-risk systems may be introduced on the basis of internal data governance policies and contractual guarantees; medium-risk systems may be introduced subject to independent technical audit and data quality control; high-risk systems may be deployed only where there is proof of safety, certification, logging of decisions, human oversight and a special regime of legal liability. It is concluded that the lawful implementation of AI in Ukraine’s railway sector is possible only if innovation is combined with safety, investment openness with public control, and digital modernisation with an appropriate level of legal regulation.