Rail transport is central in bringing about sustainable and energy-efficient high-capacity mobility to the contemporary communities. Rail systems are more energy efficient, produce less greenhouse gas and are also safer than road-based transport particularly in long distance moving of passengers and freight. Several factors, however, are demanding huge challenges on traditional rail systems design and operation: raising the speeds of operations, the axle loads, the traffic density as well as the expectations regarding passenger comfort. Intelligent Rail Transportation Systems (IRTS) can properly counter these challenges through the incorporation of the following: advanced dynamics modelling, innovative sensing, smart monitoring, and smart control systems. The chapter is a general outlook of dynamic bases of rail vehicle and track interaction, contemporary ways of monitoring and sensing and control models that strive to improve safety, reliability, seat comfort and lifecycle performance. It focuses on condition monitoring, active and semi active control measures, predictive maintenance loops, and cyber-physical architectures which facilitate intelligent rail operation. There are model and validation strategies to gap the theory and practice that are discussed and the major challenges to address and the future research directions that involve AI-based monitoring as well as digital rail twins.