How Well Do You Know Your Rails

In today's era of system optimization and cost sensitivity, proper planning and management of track maintenance can be an important tool in helping railroads control capital and maintenance costs, especially for high capital cost items such as rail. As the cost of maintenance continues to rise, the ability to properly plan and execute track maintenance programs in an efficient and cost-effective manner becomes more and more important. Recent advances in software and analysis techniques offer new opportunities for track maintenance planning, and with this in mind, the article explains how vast quantities of inspection data can be interpreted and harnessed to optimize maintenance activities.