Productivity and IE in Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing

Technological Challenges for 2040

Materials and Manufacturing
• Advanced design
• Low cost manufacturing systems
• High performance materials for heavy haul
• Advanced manufacturing
• Advanced materials for lightweighting
• Simulation for materials and manufacturing

Monitoring and Management
• Automated health monitoring for  smarter infrastructure
• Automated control and operations
• Advanced asset management systems
• Safety threat detection, intervention
• Advanced data analysis and information systems
• Advanced operations  management

Power and Propulsion
• Energy regeneration
• Advanced braking systems
• Energy use management tools
• Electric motors and systems
• Emissions reduction technologies
• Gaseous fuels
http://www.innovation.gov.au/Industry/AustralianIndustryParticipation/SupplierAdvocates/Documents/OnTrackTo2040-Roadmap.pdf


AusRAIL 2013 Conference: Driving the Costs out of Rail
http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wt/speeches/2013/wts009_2013.aspx



RAIL PRODUCTIVITY INFORMATION PAPER  - Australia 2008
http://www.ntc.gov.au/filemedia/Reports/RailProductivityInfoPaperMarch08.pdf

Innovative Rail Freight Wagon - 2030
http://tu-dresden.de/die_tu_dresden/fakultaeten/vkw/ibv/bsr/eisenbahngueterwagen2030/White%20Paper%20Innovative%20Rail%20Freight%20Wagon%202030.pdf






India

Railways and Rolling Stock Engineers- Challenges Ahead
 by
 Ashutosh Kumar Banerji
Former General Manager,  Central Railway
2005
http://irsme.nic.in/files/RLY_RLE_AB.pdf

Rail Transport is claimed to be 4 times more energy efficient and 6.5 times more efficient in land use than road transport. Yet, it is not reflected in the Rail tariff that for most commodities and for many distant slabs is in excess of the road tariff.

A comparative evaluation of freight tariff in India and U.S.A. conducted by Mr. David Burns, a former World Bank Consultant and presented in his paper in a Seminar in Kolkata on the 14th and the 15th May 2003, brings out interesting facts. According to this paper in respect of bulk commodities such as Coal, Iron Ore, Cement, Food Grain, Fertilizers, when corrected for the purchasing power parity, freight charged in India is substantially higher than the tariff charged by the U.S. railroads.

Tariff for coal is 35 paise per NTKM in USA against 50 paise in India, which inflates to 250 paise on PPP
basis. US Railroads make money in coal transport while we are forever complaining.
Overall US Railroads have brought down the tariff from 3.5 Cents per Ntkm to 1.5 Cents per Ntkm in the last 25 years.