The research aimed to develop a practical approach to whole-system and whole-life decision making for railways. A value-based framework to whole system decision making was developed in collaboration with the Asset Management Working Group (AMWG) of the International Union of Railways and AMCL+ to sustainably deliver the desired performance at the lowest whole life cycle cost and risk to all the stakeholders. The research was focused on (i) reviewing existing whole life models and decision-making tools employed by the railway industry to establish a whole-system modelling framework and (ii) improving the understanding of the interdependencies between different infrastructure systems (e.g., track, drainage, bridges etc.) to effectively model their performance and associated risks. The outcomes of the research will aid the railway industry in identifying cost-effective asset management strategies in a risk-informed manner.

People

Prof Ajith Kumar Parlikad

Dr. Manu Sasidharan

Dr. Manuel Herrera

Sho Okazaki

Project Partners

Network Rail

International Union of Railways

AMCL+