CCQ is listed as a technology service provider collaborating on Network Rail’s Infrastructure Monitoring Program, the foundation upon which many engineering decisions are based within Network Rail.
Working in partnership with an engineering consultancy, CCQ engaged with Network Rail to understand the complexity and variability of asset management across the network.
CCQ also developed an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between third-party assets and civil engineering scenarios.
Challenge
Keeping Britain’s railways running smoothly and on time requires effective management and maintenance of vast infrastructure. Tracks, bridges, and signals across 20 of the UK’s largest stations must work seamlessly together to prevent downtime and failures.
Network Rail approached CCQ during a significant programme aimed at enhancing its asset management systems and capabilities. The primary challenge was to deliver Whole Life Cycle Costing (WLCC) analysis for the top 30 asset classes with the greatest impact on safety, train performance, and expenditure.
Asset management in the UK railways presents unique challenges. Many Victorian-era bridges and other infrastructure, dating back to the railway’s inception, remain in use today. Additionally, numerous stakeholders must collaborate to deliver both freight and passenger services to end customers.
As critical infrastructure, the ultimate objective of this project was to optimise the ongoing reliability of assets across the network.
Solution
CCQ developed and deployed scenarios to model and simulate optimal methods for inspecting, maintaining, and improving railway infrastructure, including:
Maintenance and renewal interventions (timing and cost)
Operational costs
Asset outputs
Age
Cumulative duty
Remaining life
Condition
Asset performance and service risk
Present value of costs and risks
Technologies
C#
Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
Excel
MS Access
SQL
The Work
Consultancy
Algorithm Research
Implementation
Testing
Execution
Results
CCQ delivered a nationwide WLCC solution designed to address the complexities of the UK rail network. By leveraging our engineering and sector expertise, we overcame the inherent challenges posed by the wide variety of asset types, their varying ages, and the frequent lack of existing data.
Our modelling solution significantly improved Network Rail’s asset management efficiency and maturity, ultimately resulting in safer and more reliable railways.