Abstract Rail trail developments involve converting disused railway corridors into multi-use spaces for leisure, tourism, and sustainable mobility. The transformation of disused railway corridors into successful rail trail developments in the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom has contributed to a resurgence in community, government and business interest in developing rail trails in other countries. As evident from several jurisdictions, rail trail development has the potential to spark debates around fundamental issues related to prudent use of dormant public assets, namely railway corridors. This exploratory systematic review examined peer-reviewed studies of rail trails published in English language academic journals to examine the substance, extent and research gaps of this distinct subset of the broader literature on trails. A fledgling, fragmented body of knowledge was identified, spanning themes from planning, management and user experience to social, economic and environmental impacts of rail trails. Directions for future research are provided.

中文翻译：

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铁路轨道文献：现状和未来研究

摘要 铁路步道开发涉及将废弃的铁路走廊改造成用于休闲、旅游和可持续交通的多用途空间。美国、新西兰和英国将废弃的铁路走廊改造为成功的铁路轨道开发项目，促使社区、政府和企业对在其他国家开发铁路轨道的兴趣重新抬头。从几个司法管辖区可以明显看出，铁路轨道开发有可能引发围绕与谨慎使用休眠公共资产（即铁路走廊）相关的基本问题的辩论。这篇探索性的系统评价审查了发表在英语学术期刊上的铁路轨道同行评审研究，以检查关于轨道的更广泛文献的这一独特子集的实质、范围和研究差距。确定了新的、零散的知识体系，涵盖从规划、管理和用户体验到铁路轨道的社会、经济和环境影响等主题。提供了未来研究的方向。