Maintenance for improved punctuality : a study of condition monitoring technology for the Swedish railway sector

Abstract: Banverket (‘the National Swedish Railway Administration') is responsible for management of the infrastructure in Sweden. The main objective of Banverket, stated by the Swedish government, is to assure a cost-effective and long-term provision of transportation for citizens and the business sector. In order to stay competitive with other forms of transportation, the railway needs to be cost-effective and provide reliable service. The reliable service is to a great extent reflected in terms of train punctuality. Railway components in general have a fairly long life, which means that the cost effectiveness of the transportation system is highly dependent on the effectiveness (doing the right things) and the efficiency (doing the things right) of its operation and maintenance process. The purpose of maintenance is to ensure business objectives through the assurance of required technical functions. Maintenance in the railway ensures the function of the systems that are es-sential for the operation of the transportation system. In other words, maintenance is a vital tool for achieving punctuality, which next to safety is Banverket's most important goal area. Developments in sensor technology and in the information and communication technology sector have provided new opportunities to use technology to assess infrastructural and rolling stock conditions. Decision support derived from condition monitoring systems can provide opportunities for improved maintenance management. In other words, condition monitoring can provide conditions for improved maintenance effectiveness and efficiency and hence punctuality. The thesis explores three areas. The first area is the exploration of current train delay statistics, performed in order to assess how the statistics can represent the influence of different factors on punctuality. The second is an exploration of the link between punctuality and maintenance and more specifically condition monitoring. The third area explores current condition monitoring applications at Banverket to form a knowledge foundation for further condition monitoring implementations intended to improve the reliability and hence the punctuality of the transportation system. In the perspective of the studies are important factors for successful applications of condition monitoring technology proposed. These are factors such as knowledge of problem characteristics, information accuracy, measurement limitations and ability to combine condition based maintenance objectives with business objectives etc. Furthermore, are recommendations for future condition monitoring implementations made. These are recommendations for enhancing the condition-based maintenance, which in turn is dependent on applications of condition monitoring. The final discussions are based upon overall experience from working with the material. The discussion links to the initial research problem, whose intension is to widen the horizon of possible condition monitoring applications.