Strategies for maintenance management of railway track assets

M.Ing. (Engineering Management)Abstract: Population growth and environmental issues are revitalizing the railway sector in a tremendous way. An increase in frequency of passenger traffic and rising loads of freight trains has an impact on dynamic railway track properties and components thereof. The challenge from the railway fraternity is to rise to the challenge by ensuring a safe, reliable and affordable mode of transport. The purpose of this research is to investigate the capacity needed to meet demand by maintaining the track components of the railway infrastructure cost effectively. The railway track is the most critical in terms of safety, influence on maintenance costs, availability and reliability of the train service. Profillidis (2012) highlights the fact that track maintenance expenses represent a significant percentage of total railway infrastructure expenses. In literature, different maintenance strategies, approaches and concepts are discussed in light with arguments raised by different scholars and researchers. The main research methodology utilised was the case study on maintenance strategies from different countries where data was mostly available. The reason for the chosen method was to standardise the research method across different countries as this made it easy to obtain the findings and arrive at recommendations of the research. The broader findings from different maintenance strategies were that the track maintenance approach still has to evolve from working in silos to working in a system that acknowledges that decisions taken from other departments can affect the quality of maintenance in future. The deterioration of the track system is mostly affected by the initial quality of the railway track after commissioning due to workmanship and track design, maintenance approach, type of rolling stock tonnages, speed of rolling stock, and environmental related issues. Design phase of the track acknowledges the systems thinking approach for quality and structural integrity. However, more can still be done to adopt approaches that foster inter-departmental coordination in the maintenance phase of the railway track asset lifecycle. Transnet faces a challenge of fulfilling its obligation by providing quality and cost effective maintenance to increase the reliability, affordability, availability and safety of its infrastructure with the ever-increasing freight volumes. The traditional approach of maintaining railway track assets does not bring in required outcomes that ensure high quality and cost effective maintenance as required by high intensity asset utilisation. Data collected from the..

Study of Railway Passenger Transport in the European Union

This paper examine the development of railway passenger transport in the European Union countries by using criteria related to the transportation process and the level of economic development of the countries. The study proposes a methodology based on the combination of multicriteria methods. In the first step we determine the indicators to be used in evaluating railway passenger development. As main criteria of the assessment we have chosen social and economic factors, infrastructure factors, factors associated with travel and technological factors. In the second step, using the Fuzzy AHP method, the weights of the criteria and sub-criteria have been calculated. In the third step, we have rated the studied countries by means of the PROMETHEE method. The results show that the factors associated with travel and technological factors have great importance in the ranking of the countries and that, when all factors are taken into account, the countries with the most highly developed railway passenger transport are Germany, Britain and France. The results of the method in the fourth step were compared by applying Cluster analysis. The railway passenger transport in European Union countries have been classified into 5 groups

Possible futures for transport in South Africa towards 2035

It is evident that there is a great dissatisfaction with the current model of transport as the level of accidents continue to rise. The containment on carbon emission levels are illusive and transport congestion is becoming impossible to handle. The number of cars in cities is increasing rapidly, resulting in increased traffic congestion, less mobility, poor air quality and more road accidents. In the National Development Plan (NDP), one of the challenges identified is that despite a slowdown in the growth within urban areas, 14 million people are projected to move to South African cities between 2010 and 2050 (UN-Habitat, 2014).This will exert pressure on service delivery by municipalities – including transport and transport infrastructure. A large proportion of these new urban residents will be poor, further enhancing the pressure. Transportation networks or systems are therefore key to the spatial transformation of South Africa’s urban areas. Although there has been significant progress in some cities in delivering new public transport infrastructure, the major shift from supporting private cars to incentivising public transport is yet to happen. The NDP vision for urban South Africa is that by 2030, South Africa should observe meaningful and measurable progress in reviving rural areas and in creating more functionally integrated, balanced and vibrant urban settlements. For this to happen, it is said that the country must clarify and relentlessly pursue a national vision for spatial development, sharpen the instruments for achieving this vision and build the required capabilities in the state and among citizens (The Presidency of South Africa, 2011). The outcomes of this analysis of future studies theory and practice supported the argument presented at the beginning of this research that there is robust requirement for a fundamental shift in the ways and methods of planning the future of South Africa’s transport industry towards 2035

Developing A Road Freight Transport Performance Measurement System To Drive Sustainability:An Empirical Study Of Egyptian Road Freight Transport Companies

While several road freight performance measurement systems have been developed, only a limited number of quantified performance measurement frameworks encompassing diverse sets of performance metrics from multiple sustainable perspectives are available on a technological platform. These sets of metrics could be integrated as crucial performance indicators for assessing the operational performance of various road freight transport companies. These indicators include fuel efficiency, trip duration, vehicle loading, and cargo capacity. The objective of this research is to construct a conceptual road freight performance measurement framework that comprehensively incorporates performance elements from sustainable viewpoints (economic, environmental, and social), leveraging technology to measure the performance of road freight transport companies. This proposed framework aims to aid these companies in gauging their performance using technology, thus enhancing their operations towards sustainability.Within the road freight transport sector, several challenges exist, with congestion, road infrastructure maintenance, and driver training and qualifications being particularly pressing issues. The developed performance measurement framework offers the means for companies to evaluate the effects of technology integration on vehicles and overall performance. This allows companies to measure their performance from an operational standpoint rather than solely a strategic one, thereby identifying areas requiring improvement. Egypt was chosen as the empirical study location due to its relatively low level of technological integration within its road freight sector.This thesis employs an explanatory mixed methods approach, encompassing four distinct phases. The first phase entails a review to formulate the proposed theoretical performance measurement framework. Subsequently, the second phase involves conducting semi-structured interviews using a Delphi method to both develop a conceptual performance measurement framework and explore the present state of Egypt's road freight transport sector. Following this, the third phase encompasses surveys based on the results derived from Delphi analysis, involving diverse participants from the road freight transport industry. The aim is to validate the developed performance measurement framework through an empirical study conducted in Egypt. Lastly, the fourth phase centres around organizing focus groups involving stakeholders within road freight transport companies. The goal here is to propose a roadmap for implementing the developed road freight transport performance measurement framework within the Egyptian context.The primary theoretical contribution of this research is the development of a road freight transport performance measurement framework that integrates the three sustainability dimensions with technology. Additionally, this study offers practical guidance for the application of the developed framework in various countries and contexts. From a practical standpoint, this research aids road freight transport managers in evaluating their operational performance, thereby identifying challenges, devising action plans, and making informed decisions to mitigate these issues and enhance sustainability-oriented performance. Ultimately, the developed road freight transport performance measurement framework is poised to promote performance measurement aligned with technology, fostering progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030

A Short History of Transport in Japan

A Short History of Transport in Japan from Ancient Times to the Present is a unique study: the first by a Western scholar to place the long-term development of Japanese infrastructure alongside an analysis of its evolving political economy. Drawing from New Institutional Economics, Black offers an historically informed critique of contemporary planning using the example of Japan’s historical institutions, their particular biases, and the power they have exerted over national and local transport, to identify how reformed institutional arrangements might develop more sustainable and equitable transport services. With chapters addressing each major form of transport, Black examines the predominant role of institutions and individuals – from seventeenth-century shoguns to post-war planners – in transforming Japan’s maritime infrastructure, its roads and waterways, and its adoption of rail and air transport. Using a multidisciplinary, comparative, and chronological approach, the book consults a range of technical, cultural, and political sources to tease out these interactions between society and technology. This spirited new contribution to transport studies will attract readers interested in institutional power, the history of transport, and the development of future infrastructure, as well as those with a general interest in Japan

Shifting to low-carbon transport in ASEAN:policy development in a rapidly motorising region

This thesis analyses how transport policy at different levels of governance is responding to sustainability challenges and how such policies can be strengthened, particularly for climate change mitigation in the ASEAN region. Its academic contribution comprises the application of transition studies and policy studies to low-carbon transport and sustainable development. The main conclusions are: 1) The Avoid – Shift – Improve approach needs to be expanded with Access, Lifestyle and Transition considerations in order to be an effective framework that does justice to the distributional, systemic and behavioural aspects of low-carbon transport policy; 2) The newer international climate instruments, such as NAMAs, NDCs and the GCF, show more potential than the Kyoto Protocol instruments to promote sustainable, low-carbon transport, as they are better aligned to national circumstances and better suited to address the barriers that developing country policymakers face; 3) ASEAN instruments around transport focus on policy cooperation and reflect ‘networked regionalism’. Sustainable transport has played a relatively small role in ASEAN cooperation but this role is growing, and a range of ‘soft’ measures can be used to further promote low-carbon transport in its member countries; 4) At the national level, transport policy objectives support international sustainable development and climate goals, however the instruments, mechanisms and calibrations need to be strengthened to reach those objectives. Climate change has, in a few cases, led to policy windows for modifying transport policy; 5) At the local level, Southeast Asian cities such as Bangkok and Manila increasingly recognise the potential and benefits of cycling, yet much remains to be done in policy and planning to move cycling beyond a niche activity. _______________________________________

Safety of domestic ferries: A scoping study of seven high-risk countries

Ferry accidents are fairly common globally, causing countless deaths and injuries. Whereas ferry transportation is an integral part of the domestic transport infrastructure in many countries, particularly archipelagic countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, river deltaic countries like Bangladesh, countries with extensive riverine systems such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Senegal, or even a combination of great lakes, rivers and archipelago such as Tanzania, these countries are experiencing a high number of ferry accidents and fatalities over the past two decades and, therefore, considered high-risk countries in the ferry transport sector. International community continuously seeks to enhance safety in the domestic ferry industry. Thus, a scoping study has been conducted on the safety of domestic ferries in these seven high-risk countries. The study utilizes a structured methodology to identify focus areas in the seven countries for enhancing safety in the domestic ferry sector. The analysis involves past domestic ferry accidents, maritime profile, industry demographics and stakeholder matrix, regulatory and governance climate, political landscape, and amenability to change and external intervention. Eventually, the study proposes a conceptual framework with fifteen distinct criteria, identified against five attributes as an aid to the decision-making in a country for considering a safety intervention with a high likelihood of success and a significant positive impact on safety in the domestic ferry sector. Furthermore, current hazards threatening the safety of domestic ferries and their role in the formation of accidents; key stakeholders of domestic ferry sector and their state of play; national regulations related to the safety of domestic ferries and alignment with the IMO model regulations; national political landscape; state’s willingness to facilitate and receive a safety intervention; and public attitude towards safety are presented in the respective countries using globally recognized indices, questionnaire surveys and personal interviews.https://commons.wmu.se/lib_reports/1086/thumbnail.jp

Strategies for regional deployment of hydrogen infrastructure

In response to the growing urge towards decarbonisation, more and more initiatives have been set to reduce and/or compensate the level of CO2 (carbon dioxide) emitted by human activities, which is one of the main responsible of the incumbent threats of “global warming” and “climate change”. “Climate neutrality by 2050” has become a decisive topic for political agendas worldwide and, against that background, the hydrogen economy can play a significant role. More and more countries have launched roadmaps and strategies for the creation of hydrogen value chains at national and international level. Also on regional scale, local integrated hydrogen ecosystems are growing, the so-called “Hydrogen Valleys”. These include German region North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), which officially presented a hydrogen roadmap in November 2020, establishing targets for both the short (2025) and medium terms (2030) for the adoption of hydrogen in the sectors of Mobility, Industry, Energy & Infrastructure. The purpose of the present thesis is to investigate techno-economic strategies for the introduction of a hydrogen infrastructure in NRW over the next 15 years (2035), enabling the achievement of the abovementioned targets. Moreover, being buses explicitly mentioned within NRW hydrogen roadmap, the present thesis focuses on strategies to ensure the optimal deployment of hydrogen buses within the region. The work is conducted with support from the research institute of Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. A simulation model (H2MIND) developed by FZJ is taken as main research tool. The output from two other models by FZJ (FINE-NESTOR and FINE-Infrastructure, respectively), which defined the scenario behind the NRW H2 Roadmap, are reviewed and served as starting point for the adaptation of the H2MIND model. An integrative mapping activity regarding i) existing bus depots for NRW population mobility and ii) existing steel production sites in Germany serves the purpose of increasing the resolution of H2MIND model in the geospatial description of the potential hydrogen refuelling stations for bus companies in NRW. Both the hydrogen demand and production derived from FINE-NESTOR are distributed geospatially over Germany for the years 2025-2030-2035, according to the hydrogen-related technologies modelled within H2MIND. The demand is broken down into Buses, Trains, Cars, Heavy-Duty Vehicles (HDVs) and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs), Material Handling Vehicles (MHVs), Industrial uses for Steel, Ammonia, Methanol and other Chemicals. The production is modelled around onshore wind power plants, steam methane reforming industrial locations and import. Four hydrogen supply chain pathways were compared by H2MIND simulations: i) transport and distribution by gaseous hydrogen trailers (‘GH2 trucks’), ii) transport and distribution by liquefied hydrogen trailers (‘LH2 trucks’), iii) transport via newly built hydrogen pipelines plus distribution via gaseous hydrogen trailers (‘new pipelines’), iv) transport via reassigned natural gas pipelines plus distribution via gaseous hydrogen trailers (‘reassigned NG pipelines’). The analysis and assessment of the H2MIND simulation results are conducted mainly on economic merit. The key variable used for the assessment is the weighted average Total Expense (TOTEX) [€/kg H2]. This comparison is carried out from global-cost perspective, then the cost breakdown is considered in order to identify specific features in the cost determination. The weighted average TOTEX is calculated also for the case of onsite renewable energy-based electrolysis at bus hydrogen refuelling stations, in order to understand how such a strategic choice could impact the overall hydrogen supply chain cost – various shares of self-sufficiency at bus depots are considered, ranging from 0% (fully centralized configuration, no self-sufficiency) to 100% (total self-sufficiency, complete independent). An overall three-fold increase in hydrogen demand is expected between the years 2025 and 2035 (from 450.72 kt/yr to 1,862.33 kt/yr in Germany, and from 177.87 kt/yr to 519.16 kt/yr in NRW). Both on national and regional level, the main demand driver is expected to shift from the Industrial sector (in 2025) to Mobility (in 2035). As for the geospatial distribution, NRW concentrates the highest hydrogen demand in the country, covering alone approximatively one third of the total German hydrogen demand. Within NRW, the relevance of a district depends on what hydrogen-consuming sector is considered. For Mobility and public transportation, based on the allocation factors used within H2MIND model, Köln ranks as the district with highest demand in many mobility sectors. For buses, Aachen, Wuppertal, Düsseldorf are the three top cities in the ranking in addition to Köln. Recommendation is that investments focus on high hydrogen-demand districts during the start-up phase of infrastructure development (period 2025-2035), where higher utilization factors of the infrastructural assets are expected and financial risks are therefore minimized. Looking into the weighted average TOTEX for the four analysed pathways, gaseous hydrogen trailers (‘GH2 trucks’) are the most convenient option for connecting production and consumption during the start-up phase of infrastructure development (period 2025-2035). Growing cost competitiveness is expected for ‘reassigned NG pipelines’ after 2035, thanks to the increased hydrogen demand and the higher utilization factor for pipelines. For the period 2025-2035, a fully centralized hydrogen supply pathway is the best option for covering bus-related hydrogen demand in the introductory phase of hydrogen infrastructure creation, with cost parity for onsite electrolysis being expected for the future after 2035Som svar på kraven på minskade koldioxidutsläpp har fler och fler initiativ tagits för att minska och/eller kompensera nivån av CO2 (koldioxid) som släpps ut på grund av mänskliga aktiviteter, vilket är en av de främsta orsakerna till de nuvarande hoten om "global uppvärmning". ” och ”klimatförändringar”. "Klimatneutralitet till 2050" har blivit ett avgörande inslag på politiska agendor världen över och mot den bakgrunden kan vätgasekonomin spela en betydande roll. Fler och fler länder har lanserat färdplaner och strategier för att skapa värdekedjor för vätgas på nationell och internationell nivå. Även i regional skala växer lokala integrerade vätgas-ekosystem, de så kallade "vätgasdalarna". Dessa inkluderar den tyska regionen Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW), som officiellt presenterade en färdplan för vätgas i november 2020, som fastställde mål för både kort (2025) och medellång sikt (2030) för införandet av vätgas inom sektorerna rörlighet, industri, Energi & Infrastruktur. Syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka tekniska och ekonomiska strategier för införandet av en vätgasinfrastruktur i NRW under de kommande 15 åren (2035), vilket gör det möjligt att uppnå ovan nämnda mål. Dessutom, eftersom bussar uttryckligen nämns i NRW:s vätgasfärdplan, fokuserar detta examensarbete på strategier för att säkerställa en optimal utplacering av vätgasbussar inom regionen. Arbetet bedrivs med stöd från forskningsinstitutet Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Tyskland. En simuleringsmodell (H2MIND) utvecklad av FZJ används som huvudverktyg för forskning. Resultatet från två andra modeller av FZJ (FINE-NESTOR respektive FINE-Infrastructure), som definierade scenariot bakom NRW H2 Roadmap, granskas och tjänade som utgångspunkt för anpassningen av H2MIND-modellen. En integrerad kartläggning av i) befintliga bussdepåer för NRW- befolkningsrörlighet och ii) befintliga stålproduktionsanläggningar i Tyskland tjänar syftet att öka upplösningen av H2MIND-modellen i den geospatiala beskrivningen av potentiella vätgastankstationer för bussföretag i NRW. Både vätgasefterfrågan och produktionen från FINE-NESTOR distribueras geospatialt över Tyskland för åren 2025-2030-2035, enligt de vätgasrelaterade teknologierna som modelleras inom H2MIND. Efterfrågan är uppdelad i bussar, tåg, bilar, tunga fordon (HDV) och lätta kommersiella fordon (LCV), materialhanteringsfordon (MHV), industriell användning för stål, ammoniak, metanol och andra kemikalier. Produktionen är modellerad kring vindkraftverk på land, ångmetanreformerande industrilokaler och import. Fyra varianter av vätgasförsörjningskedjan jämfördes med H2MIND-simuleringar: i) transport och distribution med gasformiga vätgassläp ('GH2-lastbilar'), ii) transport och distribution med släp för flytande väte ('LH2-lastbilar'), iii) transport via nybyggda vätgas rörledningar plus distribution via släp för gasformigt vätgas (”nya pipelines”), iv) transport via tidigare naturgasledningar plus distribution via släp för gasformigt väte (”om-utnyttjade naturgasrörledningar”). Analysen och bedömningen av H2MIND-simuleringsresultaten utförs huvudsakligen på ekonomiska meriter. Den nyckelvariabel som används för bedömningen är den vägda genomsnittliga totala kostnaden (TOTEX) [€/kg H2]. Denna jämförelse görs ur ett globalt kostnadsperspektiv, sedan analyseras kostnadsfördelningen för att identifiera specifika egenskaper i kostnadsbestämningen. Det viktade genomsnittet av TOTEX beräknas även för fallet med elektrolys baserad på förnybar energi på plats vid vätgastankstationer för bussar, för att förstå hur ett sådant strategiskt val skulle kunna påverka den totala kostnaden för vätgasförsörjningskedjan – olika andelar av självförsörjning vid bussdepåer övervägs, allt från 0 % (helt centraliserad konfiguration, ingen självförsörjning) till 100 % (total självförsörjning, fullständigt oberoende). En övergripande trefaldig ökning av efterfrågan på vätgas förväntas mellan åren 2025 och 2035 (från 450,72 kt/år till 1 862,33 kt/år i Tyskland och från 177,87 kt/år till 519,16 kt/år i NRW). Både på nationell och regional nivå förväntas den främsta efterfrågedrivkraften flyttas från industrisektorn (2025) till mobilitet (2035). När det gäller den geospatiala fördelningen, koncentrerar NRW den högsta efterfrågan på vätgas i landet, och täcker ensam ungefär en tredjedel av det totala tyska vätgasbehovet. Inom NRW beror ett distrikts relevans på vilken vätgasförbrukande sektor som betraktas. För Mobilitet och kollektivtrafik, baserat på allokeringsfaktorer som används inom H2MIND-modellen, rankas Köln som det distrikt med högst efterfrågan inom många mobilitetssektorer. För bussar är Aachen, Wuppertal, Düsseldorf de tre bästa städerna i rankingen förutom Köln. Rekommendation är att investeringar fokuserar på distrikt med hög efterfrågan på vätgas under uppstartsfasen av infrastrukturutveckling (perioden 2025–2035), där högre utnyttjandefaktorer av infrastrukturtillgångarna förväntas och finansiella risker därför minimeras. Om man tittar på det vägda genomsnittliga TOTEX för de fyra analyserade varianterna, är släp med väte i gasform (‘GH2-lastbilar’) det lämpligaste alternativet för att koppla samman produktion och konsumtion under uppstartsfasen av infrastrukturutvecklingen (perioden 2025–2035). Ökande kostnadsfördelar förväntas för "om-utnyttjade naturgasrörledningar" efter 2035, tack vare den ökade efterfrågan på vätgas och den högre utnyttjandefaktorn för rörledningar. För perioden 2025–2035 är en helt centraliserad vätgasförsörjningsväg det bästa alternativet för att täcka bussrelaterad efterfrågan på vätgas i den inledande fasen av etablerandet av en vätgasinfrastruktur, med kostnadsparitet för elektrolys på plats vilket förväntas vara lösningen efter 2035Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No Contaminant::7.2 - Per a 2030, augmentar substancialment el percentatge d’energia renovable en el con­junt de fonts d’energiaObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles::11.2 - Per a 2030, proporcionar accés a sistemes de transport segurs, assequibles, accessi­bles i sostenibles per a totes les persones, i millorar la seguretat viària, en particular mitjan­çant l’ampliació del transport públic, amb especial atenció a les necessitats de les persones en situació vulnerable, dones, nenes, nens, persones amb discapacitat i persones gran

Narrative-driven alternative roads to achieve mid-century CO2 net neutrality in Europe

The tightened climate mitigation targets of the EU green deal raise an important question: Which strategy should be used to achieve carbon emissions net neutrality? This study explores stakeholder-designed narratives of the future energy system development within the deep decarbonization context. European carbon net-neutrality goals are put under test in a model comparison exercise using state of the art Energy-Environment-Economy (E3) models: ETM-UCL, PRIMES and REMIND. Results show that while achieving the transition to carbon neutrality by mid-century is feasible under quite different future energy systems, some robust commonalities emerge. Electrification of end use sectors combined with large-scale expansion of renewable energy is a no-regret decision for all strategies; Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) plays an important role for achieving net-neutral targets under all scenarios, but is most relevant when demand-side changes are limited; hydrogen and synthetic fuels can be a relevant mitigation option for mid-century mitigation in hard-to-abate sectors; energy efficiency can reduce the supply system strain. Finally, high carbon prices (300-900€/tCO2) are needed under all strategies in order to achieve carbon net neutrality in 2050