Benchmarking study for smarter rail maintenance across Europe
To improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness in railway infrastructure, European infrastructure managers (IMs) are exploring the use of condition-based maintenance (CBM). CBM strategies make use of continuously collected condition data to assess asset performance, identify issues early, and avoid failures. Many IMs are increasingly turning to this approach to optimise asset lifetimes and reduce maintenance costs.
In this context, Ramboll conducted a benchmarking study as part of the PRIME benchmarking group of European IMs formed by the European Commission. The study examines various methods of assessing network condition and a more preventive approach to maintenance and renewal. Increasing knowledge around the condition of assets along with regular network condition monitoring and reporting were discussed as key elements of a more preventive and smart maintenance strategy.
The analysis identified the life cycle cost (LCC) modelling and the condition-based inspection of assets as the two main pillars to be combined for a refined smart strategy. Reliable data on the remaining lifetime of the assets enables inspection and maintenance work to be optimised, ultimately saving costs for both.
Cost savings in this field are significant given that maintenance and renewal (M&R) expenditure account for about 40% of total IM expenditure. The study shows that cost savings based solely on deferred maintenance work as opposed to more intelligent maintenance work do not have a positive effect - but rather the opposite.
The study highlights that from a long-term perspective, budgetary reasons speak in favour of an M&R strategy that focuses on sustainable asset conditions. A reduction of M&R activities to only failure repairs guarantees safety but is counterproductive over time. In the medium to long term the total cost of maintenance often exceeds the initial savings, the service quality deteriorates, and the need for earlier renewal pushes up expenses even further. A detailed description of these conclusions is available in the official study summary
The benchmarking project provides valuable insights for the European rail sector on how to move from reactive to condition-based and smart maintenance. The study also emphasises the conflict often faced by IMs with tight budgets. There is a discrepancy between short-term savings opportunities in deferring maintenance and economically sustainable, long-term efficient and high-performance operation of railway infrastructure. Short-term deferring of maintenance can backfire.