MBTA GEC: Asset Management and Engineering Services
Client: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Location: Boston, United States
Start date: 2019
End date: 2024
Duration: 59 Months
Services provided: Asset Management Assessment, Enterprise Asset Management Development, Infrastructure Reliability Management, Maintenance Reviews, Standards Review and Development
In 2019, Network Rail Consulting (NRC) was awarded a General Engineering Contract (GEC) for Asset Management and Engineering Services by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
The MBTA, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts (MA), is the public authority responsible for operating and maintaining one of the oldest transit systems in the United States. The ‘T’ as the system is referred to locally, delivers five modes of transit (subway/metro rapid transit, light rail/tram, suburban commuter rail, buses, and ferry boats) across the Greater Boston area.
NRC was uniquely placed to bring knowledge of maintaining and operating Victorian aged rail systems whilst modernizing processes, procedures and introducing technology designed to increase asset condition knowledge.
NRC was requested to provide technical support and guidance to the MBTA, key activities included:
- Development of On-Time Performance improvement initiatives;
- Organizational maturity benchmarking and assessments;
- Development of MBTA’s Enterprise Asset Management Systems (EAMS) capabilities;
- Workforce development and competency assessments;
- Maintenance of Way (Track), Signals, Power Systems and Facilities Maintenance asset management Improvements;
- Development of a Rail Technology Strategy; and
- Provision of program governance and quality management support.
Network Rail Consulting has successfully supported MBTA’s journey towards the best-in-class asset management techniques over the five-year period. Examples of the outputs delivered during the five-year period are:
- Creation of a proposed structure for implementing a revised governance approach designed to enable MBTA to achieve it’s 2025 business plan objectives;
- Delivery of an asset management maturity assessment with a detailed improvement plan, using NRC’s bespoke ‘Heart of Asset Management’ assessment tool;
- Development of MBTA’s EAMS asset criticality and asset hierarchy specification for Maintenance of Way/Track, Signals, Power, and Facilities maintenance departments;
- Supported the integration of best practice asset data and information into Trapeze EAMS;
- Development of an asset information competence, and delivery of training modules for work crews and management teams;
- Standardization of MBTA’s approach to maintenance work planning, by implementing a plan-do-review methodology and introducing standard operating procedures for work management;
- Creation of a standardized method for inspecting special works (switches and crossings) including competence requirements for asset inspectors and maintainers;
- Undertook detailed analysis of MBTA’s Preventative Maintenance and Inspection (PM&I) processes and developed a comprehensive PM&I management plan;
- Program managed and delivered the Safety Critical PM&I configuration and digitization program, including the development of standard operating procedures and associated training material for tests and inspections;
- Analyzed MBTA’s rail modernization and decarbonization readiness, including operational risk analysis, technology readiness and the development of a capital needs analysis assessment;
- Revision of MBTA’s signal maintenance, testing procedures and implemented a modular format designed to enable regular reviews and updates, and be user-friendly for technicians;
- Development of maintenance troubleshooting and best practice guides for power and signal maintenance activities;
- Introduction of a business process including ‘hands on’ training guides for capturing asset renewals in MBTA’s EAMS system to support accurate State Of Good Repair (SOGR) reporting;
- Development of an Overhead Catenary System (OCS) contact wire renewal methodology, designed to introduce an efficient and cost-effective approach to asset renewals supplemented with the procurement specification for train-borne condition monitoring assessments; and
- Creation of asset specific seasonal preparedness procedures for maintenance departments, including EAMS configuration plans for digitizing the cyclical seasonal activities.