DoU: Efficient Track Maintenance

Why is it so difficult to introduce new innovations in the operation and maintenance of railway infrastructure?

In August 2023, the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) was commissioned by the government to improve the efficiency of track works to minimize disruptions to freight and passenger traffic. Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson states that funds should be allocated more intelligently and mentions, among other things, that track condition monitoring can be done using smart technology mounted on trains in regular traffic.

Omicold served as the process manager and railway expert in a project sponsored by Trafikverket, "ePilot", which ran from 2013 to 2020, with LTU as the project manager.

The goal of the project was to incorporate relevant research and development results into railway maintenance and thereby contribute to increased operational reliability and sustainability, increased punctuality, and improved cost-effectiveness. The project involved 50 stakeholders from the entire Swedish railway industry.

A total of 105 ideas for improvements were submitted, and 38 of these were demonstrated in sub-projects, of which 16 were tested in an operational environment. The technological solutions were highly mature and, in some cases, resulted in business agreements between innovation companies and traffic companies. Solutions tested included more efficient track and vehicle maintenance through digitalization and sensor technology, better decision support systems, flexible business models, and cost-benefit analyses. Several demonstration projects were carried out where track condition monitoring was performed from regular traffic train vehicles. The identified advantages include:

• Early detection of damage and failures, allowing for preventive actions.
  
  
• Increased cost-effectiveness due to more efficient and frequent condition monitoring, leading to early fault trend warnings and better maintenance planning after inspection.
  
  
• A shift towards more preventive maintenance reduces the number of failures.
  
  
• Fewer train delays due to increased availability and resilience.
  
  
• Increased traffic capacity as track time for maintenance inspection and failure repair can be reduced.
  
  
• Better resource utilization for maintenance contractors, e.g., inspection personnel can be better used in preventive maintenance.
  
  
• Monitoring the track from regular traffic, i.e., actual operational conditions, quickly identifies critical fault points.
  
  
• Quick verification that implemented measures are effective, and speed can be increased after work that affects stability.
  
  Cost-benefit analyses show significant savings potential, e.g., one can save 20 million kronor per year by checking the performance of the device for snow and ice melting in turnouts with IR technology.
  
  Despite the demonstrated benefits, very few of the showcased innovations have been adopted. A recurring explanation is that there are no opportunities or space in the ongoing maintenance contracts to introduce the improvement suggestions. Many of the maintenance contracts were awarded to the lowest bidder with the goal of maintaining the status quo, which leaves little room for introducing smart solutions. Another reason is that public authorities are bound by the law on public procurement. However, the law provides openings such as the possibility of innovation procurement. 
  The challenge is that these take a long time to implement. The currently ongoing innovation procurement to carry out condition monitoring of track and catenary using sensor technology and digitalisation - was opened on April 21, 2021, i.e., over a year after ePilot ended and is expected to be fully operational only at the end of 2024.
  
  There is, therefore, significant potential in developing maintenance contracts, and this should be done in close collaboration with the railway industry's stakeholders.