Finance, sustainability, technology, productivity, collaboration – the combination of these factors are producing enormous pressures and opportunities in the life-cycle of rail depots, says SIMON BAYNES CLARKE of TenBroekeCo
Customer service expectations have risen in the last 20 years and yet the way we approach Depot design and management hasn’t changed greatly. We fail to utilise the lessons of the past when project over-runs and escalating costs deliver a finished product that does not always fully meet customer, employee and investor needs.
The need to reduce operating costs over the 30-50 year life-span of a depot is critical. Looking at the Whole-Life Costs of a train, in very broad terms 25% is needed to acquire the train and 75% for the construction and operation of the depot. Ironically, the area that needs the most money has the least visibility - everyone loves new trains but few talk about the depots that are essential to maintaining and operating them.
Building a depot that assures the opportunity to maximise train availability, quality and value should be the rail industry’s top requirement. To do this we need to be ‘Working Smart’.
We consider three key areas: the way we operate Asset M…
