1.10 Reliable Railways at Minimum Cost

Challenge

Safe and reliable rail transport requires well-maintained infrastructure. A well-functioning railway system requires effective maintenance. Its condition is upheld through preventive and corrective maintenance measures, as well as reinvestments. These efforts involve significant costs for society—not only for the maintenance work itself but also for the disruptions and delays they cause in train traffic.

Similarly, it is costly when railway infrastructure cannot be used due to failures. The challenge lies in determining the optimal combination of preventive and corrective maintenance that minimizes the life cycle cost (LCC), and in making the right intervention at the right time.

Expected results

To identify optimal maintenance strategies, wear and lifespan of railway infrastructure are simulated. The relationships between traffic and the number of maintenance actions—both planned and corrective—are estimated, as well as the relationship between preventive and corrective maintenance. Based on this data, life cycle costs (LCC) for different maintenance strategies can be calculated.

Within the InfraMaint project, this method has been tested to develop strategies for rail grinding and gauge correction in curves, as well as for switch maintenance. In both cases, the results show potential for reducing life cycle costs.

Societal Impact

• Fewer disruptions in railway traffic – more reliable transport services.

• Lower societal costs for railway infrastructure maintenance.

• A more sustainable transport system through increased competitiveness of rail traffic.