Contribution on Infrastructure Management at the LIF 2015

These days every system operator needs to focus on a holistic and integrated infrastructure and asset management respectively. This is particularly the case for operators of rail infrastructure in regional rail transport. Asset management, as a basis for long-term maintenance and investment planning, involves many aspects such as timeliness and validity of the necessary data bases, a matching IT solution and an appropriate maintenance planning, execution and documentation (Maintenance Management). Additionally, the conditions of the assets have to be recorded and assessed and the optimal replacement date for the assets must be calculated.

For these issues, the operators have different tools available which record and document current and past events. Yet, a comprehensive, robust and analytically underpinned basis to plan and calculate medium-term maintenance and financial requirements for the asset management is often not implemented.

This is where the instruments, that were jointly developed by BSL and TÜV Rheinland, make a start. Data from different assets are displayed in an Excel-based tool following a stringent classification, so that a preview of the systems operation will become possible. The term assets comprises not only the typical systems of rail infrastructure or signalling, but also rolling stock or workshop equipment. The focus is on a demand-oriented, anticipatory planning of maintenance costs and on a calculation of staff requirements as well as of funding requirements for asset replacement. The assessments of the assets’ conditions, which are carried out within the scope of maintenance activities, and e. g. determined load-dependent parameters for asset replacement serve as starting points. The prognosis comprises developments of age and/or condition as well as age- and load-dependent effects on replacement dates and maintenance costs of infrastructural systems.

The ► Leipziger Instandhaltungsforum 2015 (Maintenance Forum in Leipzig) takes place on 4 and 5 November. Here  ► Carsten Keuch reports on asset management and presents the above-mentioned aspects of a holistic and integrated strategic planning tool for the system operations of a transport company focussed on regional rail transport.

17. August 2015