The railway heritage in the context of UNESCO: railway aspects for its interpretation and safeguard

The industrial and railway protagonism in promoting economic, social and regional development in recent centuries is not reflected in international preservation policies. The industrial universe, and specifically the railway sector, has characteristics that demand a different interpretation from other cultural assets and little progress has been made in this regard over the 50 years of the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. In this way, the article contextualizes the creation of international heritage and the presence of industrial goods as World Heritage to justify the need for a new look at these goods. Within this problem, specificities of the railway heritage are presented and the proposition of eight aspects that provide the reading and interpretation of its main characteristics, responsible for the attribution of its heritage values and, consequently, its cultural significance.