Asset Condition and Analysis

Sydney Trains initially commissioned Network Rail Consulting to review the processes and methodologies incorporated into ACAA. The project was then expanded to provide enhanced justification for individual work items within the annual work plans through the development of risk based asset intervention strategies.

Asset Condition and Analysis

The key output from the initial commission was a report containing our findings and recommendations in respect of:

• the way ST collects and utilises asset condition data
• how criticality is assessed and assigned to assets
• how the ACAA index is calculated and applied.

The review resulted in Sydney Trains pausing the roll out of the ACAA to allow more time to develop the processes required to properly plan future work items. Our commission was extended to produce the following documents:

• a Systems Procedure (applicable to all assets systems) for developing risk based intervention strategies for major periodic maintenance (MPM);
• a Track Intervention Strategy for MPM based on the Systems Procedure; and
• an Operating Procedure for implementing the interventions determined by the Track Intervention Strategy.

The Track Intervention Strategy is concerned with identifying proactive controls (preventative maintenance and servicing), which can predict and prevent failure effects. The starting point for the strategy was an analysis of the failure modes and safety consequences associated with each cyclic track maintenance program and the setting of defect alert limits in line with UIC Code 714 principles.

Time-based interventions for each program were derived taking account of the defect alert limits, assumed asset deterioration and operational criticality.