Digital Business Models and the Rail Transport System

Purpose: The aim of this chapter is to present crucial assumptions for defining theoretical and practical assumptions on digital business models in the context of the specificity of the rail transport sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodology for this chapter is a critical literature review, the authors’ theoretical and practical reflections on the theory of cybernetics and its impact on the development of the digitalization of the rail transport system. Attention was paid to the aspects of sustainable business models in terms of the digital transformation of rail transport. Findings: This chapter identifies key approaches to understanding the place and role of digitalization in shaping the socio-technological systems of rail transport. Research limitations/Implications: The limitations of the analytical and evaluation study are due to the interdisciplinarity of the analyses, which makes the scope of analyses and studies very broad. A large number of issues are being addressed in this thematic area in order to achieve a high level of consistency in inferences. Practical implications: The practical nature of the issues discussed has been demonstrated in the resultant nature of the proposed methods and approaches to attempts to explain the processes of rail transport sector digitalization in the context of the concept of business models. Originality/Value: The originality of the analytical and research intention is the comprehensive identification of various approaches to defining the theoretical foundations for understanding the specificity of digital business models against the background of cybernetics. It was also important to clarify that rail transport enterprises shape social business models through their role in the sustainable supply chain.