Vehicle-based and operation-based reliability is being achieved through constant adaptation and introduction of state-of-the-art maintenance technologies. This way reliability should be tailor-made for the whole fleet and should be constantly adapted to the latest operating needs at minimum life cycle costs. The reliability of a given part has, based on it's design, an inherent maximum wear limit - a limit that no maintenance, regardless of how intense and preventive it is, can change. The part has also, again based on it's design, an inherent minimum wear limit that no minimum amount of maintenance can reduce. In between is the economic maintenance optimum and this forms the third wear factor in maintenance management. Reliability profiles and cost limits on which maintenance can be guaranteed are and should be defined only within these limits. Modern maintenance regimes recognise the benefits of purpose built depot facilities to minimise maintenance downtimes and costs of maintenance with good data collection and analysis. Relevant and effective information and documentation at the workplace is also vital to ensure effective fault finding is applied. Analysis of work content and performance with increased staff familiarity allows the development of the maintenance requirements to extend periodicities with confidence and low risk to keep trains running with lower cost base line and improving performance levels. Optimum maintenance intervals for high speed and tilting trains must recognise the risks in service operations, which come from high-speed operation. Scheduled maintenance periods have been extended with confidence following full evaluation of service experience and remain subject to appraisal with scrutiny of component performance within the system application. The opportunity for continued development of performance levels and reduced life cycle costs exists with the further development of partnerships throughout the equipment supply chain, manufacturers and operators with open exchange of data for mutual benefits. Close relationships between all parties in the maintenance supply chain are being developed to focus on efficient maintenance strategies on a commercial basis with successful partnerships between railway equipment suppliers and railways. In environments where rail services have been privatised or a private/public model has replaced a wholly public sector maintenance costs have been reduced by 10-30%. Further optimisation of performance and costs is achievable with structured involvement of all involved to increase dialogue and open sharing of data between operators and the supply industry to best optimise maintenance for service performance reliability.
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