The two elements of the project, Smart Maintenance and Human Factors can be seen as complementary ways of harnessing information in smart ways to improve respectively the maintenance of passenger rail vehicles and the attractiveness of railways to passengers.
The potential impacts of the research will target several of the objectives set out in the Shift2Rail Multi-Annual Action Plan (MAAP).
MAAP Objective
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SMaRTE Impacts
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MP1 and MP2 Improved reliability and Enhancing Capacity
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Reduced component failure through improved tailoring of maintenance to actual component condition and earlier identification of faults Increased availability of rolling stock due to a reduction in unplanned maintenance and less set down time
The experience of applying CBM in the case studies will increase the skill base of the industrial partners and will allow the adoption of advanced maintenance methods where appropriate.
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MP3 Customer experience
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Specific factors inhibiting use of rail at different parts of the end-to-end journey to be identified
Targeted and achievable methods to improve usability through development and adoption of technology to be identified
Number of passenger journeys lost from the system at different points in the process and also revenue impacts.
Transport operating costs associated with mode shift will be included in the cost-benefit assessment, together with user cost savings
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MP4 and MP5 Lower investment costs and Reduced operating costs
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Reduction in annual rolling stock maintenance costs as a result of condition-based monitoring enabling optimal replacement– relates also KP1 from the S2R call document Reduction in up-front component cost to reflect less frequent replacement of components Reduced track forces and infrastructure damage due to improved condition of rolling stock and reduction in the frequency of failed components
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MP6 Externalities
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External cost savings (e.g. noise, air pollution, congestion, GHG emissions) resulting from increased use of rail.
The envisaged increase in rail usage will support the Transport White Paper ‘Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area’ target that by 2050 the majority of medium-distance passenger transport should go by rail.
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As well as identifying impacts for featured case studies, high level estimates will be made of the potential impacts that may be achieved if the approaches could be rolled out more widely (generalisation).
The impacts will be felt by multiple stakeholders. Ultimately, users will see the benefits of the proposed solutions in respect of the Human Factors research, though it is also important that the benefits to train operators are demonstrated.
