Interface - The Journal of Wheel/Rail Interaction

ASSET MANAGEMENT

Developing an Enterprise Asset Management System for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor
(continued)

The asset information components required to manage the infrastructure and vehicles consist of:
Fixed Infrastructure Layout, which defines the railway network with accurate definitions of asset and component location, descriptive attributes, and asset configuration relationships.

Traffic in terms of:
• Utilization of the fixed infrastructure, which is defined in terms of vehicle/track interaction-induced loads by train operations over the layout by each type of service.

• Vehicle information per car number, which is defined for each of the vehicle components (carbody, trucks, axles and wheels). Vehicle information is comprised of:
  — Configuration and Characteristics.
  — Measured vehicle/track interaction condition of trucks and wheels.
  — Work conducted to improve measured vehicle/track interaction conditions (e.g. wheel truing date and metal removed, truck maintenance work, etc).

• The Route that each train takes over consecutive segments of track as recorded during train operations. By having the Route and Vehicle information available, the utilization of each piece of the fixed infrastructure by each type of train service can be determined.

Condition of the infrastructure assets, which is based on quantitative measurements and tests, qualitative visual inspections, and failure records. This data is stored as a condition attribute for an asset measured on a date at a specific location.

A history of maintenance work that is performed on the fixed infrastructure as a result of a measured condition. This work is required to provide a serviceable railway. Provisions are being made to present the future programmed maintenance work to ensure future availability. This data is stored as a work attribute for an asset at a specific location, or over a distance with a start and end location. The records of work performed on vehicles that will improve vehicle/track interaction will also be investigated to determine the effectiveness of removing the vehicle/track interaction conditions.

Finances, which are needed to ensure profitable operations (measured in terms of revenue and expenses). Subcategories include:
• Expenses incurred to establish, operate and maintain the fixed infrastructure.
• Expenses incurred to obtain and maintain the vehicles.
• Revenue generated by each train per route.
• Revenue generated by leasing track to a service type.

This set of data will also be used to determine book value/depreciation of fixed assets, level of capitalization, and state of good repair.

The database contains a relational component that links train route and track segment over which a train traverses. This will tie the vehicle information to the appropriate track segments in order to support joint maintenance decisions on the vehicle/track interaction as a system. It will further enable Amtrak to appropriately apportion the deterioration caused by each type of service over each segment of track, and assess the fair allocation of the maintenance costs to each user of the NEC.

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