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Title

Sweating the assets

Author

McFadzen, M
Hemetsberger, J

Affiliation

Queensland Rail (QR)

Publication Date

2004

Conference

CORE 2004 New Horizons for Rail Conference on Railway Engineering Darwin Northern Territory Australia 20 23 June 2004

Abstract

With the current business environment being as competitive as it is, there has been a need in the rail industry to assess, re-evaluate and refocus business strategies and work practices to meet those challenges. Queensland Rail (QR) has been no exception. With a focus on improving current strategies and pursuing “New Horizons” in business, QR has seen unprecedented changes over the recent years. Since 1997 there has been a gradual change in the way QR conducts its business. One of the major changes was the shift from being District-based to being product-centred. The result of this was the formation of the different product lines in April 2002 with Mechanised Maintenance Resurfacing being one of them. Previously, different Districts had their own resurfacing and resleepering machines and work teams, but this changed with resurfacing operations being grouped under one manager and being delivered for the whole State instead of by Districts. This product line approach to business has resulted in significant benefits to QR. The benefits include: maximising utilisation of assets, reduced maintenance costs, flexibility in working programs and rostering, improved management of assets and personnel, high mobility of work teams, the establishment of self-sufficient teams, Increase in production, better safety records and reduction in injuries, a customer focused approach, better forward planning to improve business strategies and rationalising staff and skills base. This paper describes the initiatives that have been taken and some of the principal benefits that have been achieved.

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Physical Description

10p. ; PDF

Subjects

Asset management
Maintenance management
Business
Strategic planning
Management
Funding
Transport economics
Rail transport
Policy

Location

Server
ARRB library