Tag: infrastructure
State of Good Repair Resource Requirements Assessment
On behalf of a major regional passenger rail operator, as part of ongoing efforts to rightsize the Maintenance of Way (MOW) workforce, we led a team of production planners and analysts to conduct a zero-based budget assessment in all major MOW areas at the maintenance headquarters, gang, shift, and craft levels. In this study, we enumerated each railway infrastructure system that must be maintained by MOW personnel, including periodic and preventative (FRA, FTA, and non-regulatory) maintenance plans for each system, and determine the repair maintenance workload based on both historical trouble ticket data as well as asset quantities and probabilities of failure. We also included major repair workloads for such unforeseen situations as cable degradation, grade crossing accidents, long-term concrete and steel degradation, and interactions between asset renewal activities in the C&S, Track, and Power depts. The study recommended changes in personnel strength in a number of key crafts at several locations, to reduce overtime requirements, ensure that major project backlogs can be addressed in an efficient manner, and to provide preventative maintenance for new assets expected to be commissioned following major capital investment projects.
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Expediting Capital Project Completion Through Root Cause Identification
On behalf of a major commuter railway, we performed a systematic study to discover the root causes of project schedule delays associated with three major Capital Projects: upgrade of a wayside signal system on an entire line, installation of passenger area cameras in a locomotive-hauled fleet, and renewal of all overhead line equipment for catenary electrification in one area. In this project, we worked on-site directly with craft personnel responsible for the work, as well as their foremen and managers, to understand their concerns with the work process, project plan, support environment, and resource assignments. For the signal project, delays were attributed to front-loaded project task sequencing, low priority assigned during the early phases, and inspection issues involving contractors, all resolved by work resequencing and more detailed project progress tracking and reporting. In the camera project, the diversity of coaching stock designs and accumulated modifications were issues, requiring multiple prototypes and steep learning curves, which were resolved with instituting periodic technical project meetings and adding more engineering staff. The catenary electrification renewal project was delayed due to contractor personnel shortage and insufficient work windows, which required the most complex solution—involving planning regular mid-week work windows and re-prioritizing more disruptive upgrade work to the weekend when longer track outages were available. In all three cases, the project managers committed to more aggressive completion schedules based on their own process improvements, resource reallocation, as well as our recommendations.
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Cyclical Track Replacement Process Improvements
For a railroad infrastructure owner in the United States, we led an effort to examine work constraints resulting in less than ideal throughput of cyclical track program rail and wood tie replacement in continuously-welded rail (CWR) territory by a mechanized track gang. We utilized an eight-step framework consisting of organization, procedure, personnel, time study, rate analysis, utilization analysis, rightsizing, and benchmarking to understand and improve the work process. In the current line-up of track machines, production throughput varied significantly depending on factors such as local track characteristics (e.g. spike versus Pandrol clips), and operator skill. We recommended addition of drilling and screw lagging machines, which could improve gang throughput on curve territory. In this setting, the root cause of low machine utilization are the daily setup/preparation and tear down burden, and mobilization and demobilization at each site. We further recommended task-specialized gangs to ensure optimal machine and personnel mix, sequential work planning to improve machine utilization, and establishment of extra lists based on craft rather than providing protect coverage within each gang.
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Enterprise Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Program Development
At a major regional railway, we were responsible for developing staffing, organizational structure, and business plans necessary to initiate a companywide Enterprise Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program. We implemented corporate GIS standards, boilerplates, policies, and procedures, and managed the initial bootstrapping phases of the new program, ensuring that necessary I.T. and other resources were secured. We convened an interdisciplinary team of staffers and consultants to develop a concept of operations plan to advance GIS and asset management data collection efforts, and to identify internal mapping and tracking needs that are not currently being fulfilled. This project gathered, imported, and published basic geospatial and infrastructure data (i.e. base map) to fulfill stated business and analytical needs of all departments throughout the railroad. Additionally we scoped out five supporting application development projects, provided their functional specifications, and designed new business processes required to support the elicited user requirements of a number of key railroad departments. The GIS applications included: a property management tool, an electronic track chart, a capital program drawings indexing and retrieval tool, a real-time train-tracking tool for use by field customer service agents, and a planning tool for visualizing travel patterns and traveller demographics. These five GIS applications were progressed through the operating budget justification process, which helped secure $3.8m of Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) funding.
Related Publications/Presentations:
- Geographic Information System Concept of Operations as a First Step Toward Total Enterprise Asset Management
- Enterprise GIS in a Commuter Rail Environment: State-of-Practice at a Major Northeastern Carrier
Automated Daily Analysis of Temporary Speed Restrictions
For a regional passenger railroad, we instituted daily automated analysis of temporary speed restrictions (TSRs) to enable senior managers to understand quantitatively the impact that daily and long-term track maintenance work was having on the service. At that time, the railroad had a paper-based process that issued daily TSR bulletins to train & engine employees, but did not systematically capture delays associated with these TSRs. We designed a process that predicted number of trains affected by these TSRs (which may affect only one of four tracks, therefore did not necessarily impact every train passing the location), and a simplified train performance calculator that simulated the effect of braking from normal linespeed, traversing the restriction, accelerating out of it, time required for radio communications, and any nearby station stops that may reduce the resulting delays. This data became an infrastructure performance measure that was monitored by the senior leadership.
Clearance Inventory and Planning for Double-Deck Passenger Equipment
On behalf of a major passenger transport agency, we convened and progressed a clearance inventory project that aimed to provide a clear path for bi-level passenger coaching stock to enter a major downtown terminal through legacy tunnel infrastructure. This project involved multiple engineering areas and outside consultants, as it was necessary to examine the issue in an interdisciplinary way. The project team explored various approaches to make the car fit, including chamfering existing rolling stock designs, making minor and structural modifications to tunnel infrastructure, introducing speed restrictions as to reduce vehicle dynamic envelope, and upgrading track class to reduce maintenance tolerance. We also procured new clearance modelling software that enabled in-house engineering staff to manipulate LiDAR data and develop their own simulations of various clearance scenarios. Various operational and infrastructure changes required to support daily operation of higher rolling stock were identified by the project. This project is currently in full-scale physical testing based on a proposed car outline.
Track and Power Outage Planning Process Review
For a major commuter railroad, we were tasked to review the processes utilized in planning for, and resolving conflicts inherent in, track outages required for routine maintenance work and major capital projects. The remit also included a review of software tools that could be utilized, scheduling techniques that could provide longer windows of outage opportunities, and benchmarking with other passenger rail operators to identify possible improvements. We attended many track outage coordination meetings and concluded generally that existing processes were effective as long as participants had the necessary level of operations/construction knowledge, sufficient information about the (maintenance and capital) work to be accomplished, good understanding of their own resource requirements and availability, and properly communicate this information succinctly. Although other rail operators utilized web-based software for more detailed advance planning or had a more regimented process that reduced possibilities of errors or misunderstandings, they also forfeit some flexibility our client had available in terms of responding to short-term changes of plan due to e.g. last minute resourcing or weather-related issues. The scheduling rules for outage request/approvals, and base schedules when work was likely to occur, were written as to generally avoid having to issue a revised or special public timetable to accommodate any reasonably foreseeable work, which preserves operational flexibility for both maintenance work scope changes and in case of train delays due to incidents. However, we recommended that special schedules should be issued to accommodate major projects, as to improve the bandwidth available for project work and reduce both the instances of outages required and overall project costs. As a follow-up, we were tasked to review the power outage planning process within the context of accelerating a major investment programme; our findings were broadly similar, and their implementation resulted in faster rate of progress in the project.
Railroad Operations and Alignment Design Support
We provided specialized railroad technical support to a larger planning and engineering team that was performing an environmental impact and alternatives analysis on behalf of a state department of transportation that is contemplating several options for redeveloping a rail corridor for mixed commuter, intercity rail, and freight transportation use. Specifically, we laid out new alignment options at a conceptual engineering level to minimize property takings by re-using existing corridors. The new alignments we identified connected two parallel corridors at strategic locations to enable integrated service plans, to allow freight traffic to be routed onto a by-pass away from urban centres and reduce grade crossing risks. We also developed operating plans to show that overhead freight traffic can be routed through the area without delay while offering a robust schedule for commuter and intercity services operated under various growth scenarios. At this time, the project has been constructed, although with a substantially different form of governance and service plan than what we envisioned.
Note: Alex Lu performed this work as an employee of another firm.
Shared Use of Railroad Infrastructure: Practical Field Research
For a national transit research program, we were responsible for researching and writing a report on the shared use of railroad infrastructure by non-compliant light rail vehicles. At that time, the use of Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) waivers for operating light rail cars on general system of railroads was in its nascent years, and the concept of temporal or spatial separation was still in development. As part of this project, we visited a number of properties that have existing waivers. Through interviews with stakeholders, technical specialists, and transit managers, we determined the essential elements and conditions that allowed the system to operate safely and likely receive FRA waiver approval. We identified suitable train control technologies, their performance, costs, and operational impacts. We also determined common procedural and regulatory approaches, and methods for costsharing, staffing, and emergency recovery.
Related Publications/Presentations:
- Shared Use of Railroad Infrastructure with Noncompliant Public Transit Rail Vehicles: A Practitioner’s Guide
- Business Model for Commingled Operations of Freight and Non-FRA-Compliant Passenger Rail Services
Note: Alex Lu performed this work as an employee of another firm.
New Start Commuter Rail Feasibility Studies
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n behalf of numerous clients, we conducted pre-feasibility and feasibility studies on designated rail corridors of starting or reinstating commuter rail service. Typically a project would include:
- desktop exercise in ridership and revenue forecasting based on U.S. Census and other existing locally available data,
- defining a number of commuter rail alternatives in terms of service levels, station sites, technology, and other pertinent variables,
- order-of-magnitude estimate of required capital investment and a sketch level program based on field factfinding, and any existing infrastructure data provided by partner railroads,
- operating and maintenance cost estimate based on the service and infrastructure requirements, and prevailing rates of railway labour in the local area,
- sketch level service plan, including forecast journey times, schedules, vehicle cycles, and maintenance windows,
- assessment of local transport alternatives, including highway and other public transit options,
- review of existing local growth plans, commercial development strategy, to identify transit-supportive elements,
- preliminary review of real estate in the corridor to identify any potential acquisition difficulties, e.g. for parking,
- strategic overall assessment of likelihood in securing outside funding to initiate the capital investment scheme.
Note: Alex Lu performed this work as an employee of another firm.
Critical Incident Response in Rail Control Centers: Research
For the Signal & Telecoms dept. of a major passenger railway, we developed a research report for an executive audience describing at a functional level the command and control systems under their purview, and documented existing incident response procedures and plans for the purposes of a security audit. At the time, senior leadership were reviewing existing organizational structures, specifically regarding which hardware, software, and network maintenance functions were a core part of railway operations and maintenance, were support functions that belong in corporate I.T., or were performed by outside vendors. We were successful in establishing and documenting that the operation and maintenance of signal and power control systems, although they utilize certain commodity hardware components, were so tightly integrated with low-level embedded railway operating devices (such as vital interlocking processors, high voltage circuit breakers, and positive train control communication systems) that it would have undue negative impacts on railway operations to have a separate team responsible for their maintenance. We also demonstrated that the existing critical cyber security incident response procedures were at least as effective as those utilized by corporate I.T. security, and that the system is capable of operating with temporarily degraded functionality without compromising the safety of railway operations.
Route Strategies for National Rail Infrastructure Operator
For a national rail infrastructure owner and operator, we provided analytical support to ascertain the various (route capability, route capacity, and journey time) impacts of investment in rail infrastructure on train operations. Our primary tasks included calibrating a sketch-level train-performance model using field-collected data and limited outputs from a more expensive engineering model; interpreting prevailing signalling rules and achieving an understanding of existing hardware to ascertain maximum practical and theoretical line capacity; conceptual design of alternatives for infrastructure alterations to relieve identified bottlenecks; and cash flow analyses to ensure that the proposed enhancement schemes fit within the envelope of available budget. Some of the ideas we identified have resulted in investment, although not always in the form initially envisaged. The strategic route investment planning process continues on a cyclical five-year basis.
Related Publications/Presentations:
- Network Management Statement (incorporating Route Strategy for Scotland Zone)