Overcoming maintenance challenges to keep the UK’s rail network on track

And it’s not just today’s demand the railways need to cope with, but also those of tomorrow, as demand on services is set to grow.

The impact of extreme weather 

Rarely a week can go by without the effects of climate change being reported in some way. In recent weeks the visible consequences – with giant polar ice caps falling in unprecedented scenes – have been heavily featured in the news. 

With extreme and variable weather being the result, and  increasing in frequency, this is a real issue for the railway network and is already having an impact. Given the age of assets which are hundreds of years old, and in  intensive land use environment, it’s an issue maintainers must be prepared for and get equipped to tackle.

These extreme weather events are significantly impacting services that are already running on ageing fleets and infrastructure. 

Tricia Williams, Managing Director of Northern Trains, the second largest train operator in the UK, said: “We’ve seen more storms in the last few years than previously, so we’re shifting to think of storms as something that will happen more frequently and plan accordingly.”

The issue of ageing assets

The management of ageing assets is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges facing engineers, both working on the rail network and in wider sectors. A recent report from RS, in collaboration with the Institution of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE), highlighted ageing assets as the biggest driver of unscheduled downtime – as cited by survey respondents –  trumping mechanical failure and skills shortages.

When it comes to rolling stock on the railways, maintenance is a huge issue. The trains operating on the London Underground Bakerloo line are more than 50 years old, which is making them increasingly unreliable, with maintenance becoming ever more challenging and costly, says a Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of London’s office report. The report also states that this is affecting service levels. The number of trains available at any one time is in decline, resulting in a fall in train frequency during peak times. It has fallen from 22 to 20 trains every hour.  

Even older than these trains is a lot of the railway infrastructure. Network Rail owns and manages most of the railway network infrastructure, and has 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts across its estate. There was a significant network expansion in the mid-19th century, and the Barmouth Viaduct is an example of this, with its 770-metre-long wooden bridge, constructed in 1867. This Grade II* listed monument was recently renovated, over a four- year period and at a cost of £30 million. It’s clear to see that although modernising the railways is a must, maintenance of such historic structures is both timely and expensive.

Considering the management of assets in a holistic way and cost over the whole life is a challenge in turbulent economic times.  

Digital technology must form part of the solution

Integrating more digital technology to support more efficient and effective management of the rail network will certainly form part of the solution. The effects of extreme heat, causing sections of rail track to buckle, can bring train services to a standstill. Remote monitoring systems are being used to help combat this, helping to detect and alert to when a section of track is expanding too much. Speed restrictions can then be introduced as needed, to ensure less force is exerted on the affected track and reduce the likelihood of rails buckling. 

Off the track, digital technology can help ensure parts needed to execute maintenance are available when and where needed. Managing risk is a key concern for procurement professionals responsible for ensuring availability – exacerbated by the supply chain disruption of recent years ­– so using digital technology in the supply chain is a viable and increasingly used solution. Optimising the maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) supply chain can help reduce costs, which is a major consideration for maintainers, by reducing unnecessary spending.

Collaborating working is also key when it comes to digital technology. Network Rail, in collaboration with the University of Sheffield Rail Innovation and Technology Centre, conducted research involving the deployment of forward-facing cameras on trains to measure how the train moves relative to the tracks. The creation of the 3D map of the tracks ahead allowed them to better understand what normal movement looks like, as well as what movement could indicate a fault with the train or track.

Collaboration with suppliers and organisations that can access digital supply chain solutions is a must for maintainers of rail assets. It’s key because of the likelihood of product obsolescence when dealing with high levels of historic infrastructure and ageing assets. Supply chain reliability here is vital to execute maintenance in a timely manner and minimise downtime.  

It’s clear that the challenges facing the rail network are aplenty and ongoing. Maintainers should be minded to embrace digital technology, and work with trusted and knowledgeable partners and suppliers to ensure they can keep the services on the 200-year-old network going for centuries to come. 

RS’ ‘UK Rail - An Industry Review’ report can be downloaded in full here.