Enhancing resilience in Britain's railway infrastructure

The interpretation of resilience in asset management is significantly different at the conceptual and design stages of new build compared to the application to existing infrastructure. An asset manager needs to balance the performance expectations of customers and stakeholders with the residual capacity of the existing system. This paper explains how enhanced data collection and analysis techniques have enabled the UK railway network to optimise whole-industry costs at the wheel-rail interface, maximise system capability by use of spare capacity and analyse implications of climatic conditions and long-term changes. It also shows how the consequences of change across a system interface can become apparent in accelerated infrastructure deterioration. The recognition of these interfaces and understanding the interactions of key factors have led to a more resilient railway network and optimised asset preservation.