Train maintenance is changing. Manufacturers are increasingly responsible for maintenance of their products in service, so have an added incentive to build maintainability into their trains.
Train monitoring systems provide a wealth of data on the state of the train and the infrastructure around it. This prompts early warning of problems and fine tuning of intervals between maintenance, offering the potential for fewer breakdowns in service and lower costs. ‘If we can stop trains before they fail, the cost of rectification is less’ says Matt Byrne, Regional Head of Services Execution at Bombardier.
‘There are terrabytes of data coming off, but that’s useless unless you can prevent a fault occurring as a result’ says Mr Byrne. The manufacturer is acutely aware of this and has developed a strategy with a number of strands for making the most of the intelligent train.
Elements include the following: n How do we ensure the periodicity of maintenance is optimised? There is potential to extend the intervals between overhauls. When overhauls are undertaken, efforts should be made to ensure that a train is out of service for the minimum feasible time.
n A questioning attitude is important. For example, if a pi…
