Summary

The project "Permanent Way Maintenance Strategy " of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) – a co-operation project with the Institute for Railway Engineering & Transport Economy of the Technical University of Graz – aims at a complete maintenance system. The starting point is an economical basic strategy based on optimised life-cycle costs which can be adapted dependent on the state of the track following up-to-date measuring results.

To determine the basic strategies the infrastructure was divided into the components tracks, switches, bridges and railway crossings. Studies of other infrastructure components are planned as well as the designation of maintenance-optimised track laying methods.

For the components tracks and switches this produced the following core statements:

• a high initial quality is the key to success,
• the aim of maintenance strategies is the extension of the service life of the permanent way and speed restrictions must be avoided.

On the basis of life-cycle costs, the specific types of track to be aimed for, depending upon installations and traffic, can be determined as well as identifying the optimum maintenance processes.

In the course of research into the quality curve of tracks, it has also been found that besides the initial quality, the threshold for action is the essential correcting variable to achieve high cost-efficiency and it was proven that a conforming threshold for action should be strived for. The quality curve itself follows an e-function.

Additionally, it is shown that the cost relevance of different design principles of tractive units for the maintenance of way gives rise to the call for a usage fee that is dependent on the vehicle quality.

The findings from the project "Permanent Way Maintenance Strategy " of the ÖBB are being implemented across the network and this is supported by wide-ranging training and adaptation of the the specific regulations.

The given time for a change in strategy is the renewal of the railway tracks. For the economically significant assurance of a high initial quality, constructive changes were made on the track components. Short-term savings were achieved through the optimisation of maintenance processes and a programme to reduce speed restrictions. Since 2002, after tests proved the quality benefits of this process, a new method has been implemented: the Integrated Maintenance, a combination of MDZ work with rail grinding within the same track possession.

A corresponding and co-ordinated remuneration of maintenance and re-investment funds is essential for the optimisation. The evaluation of the data compiled in the project enable this basic requirement to be determined for the ÖBB network.
In the course of implementation of the project "Permanent Way Maintenance Strategy " the productivity of maintenance work could be raised clearly.