Indian Railways: New Predictive Maintenance System To Modernise Train Operations

In its forward journey of modernisation and digitisation, Indian Railways has awarded a crucial contract to a leading rail technology company with the aim of identifying and solving defects in the coaches, wagons and locomotives in a faster and effective way.

Wabtec has secured the predictive maintenance contract from Indian Railways for the Online Monitoring of Rolling Stock (OMRS) project, a new automated system under Indian Railways technology upgradation initiative.

The Central Organisation for Modernisation of Workshops (COFMOW) of the railways has awarded the predictive maintenance contract to increase the availability of the railway’s fleet of rolling stock in a seamless manner as well as preventing in-service failures.

The OMRS systems, a state-of-the-art high-tech solution, enable operators to optimally plan the inspection and removal of defective bearings and wheels based on condition instead of fixed time-based inspection schedules, resulting in a healthier and reliable fleet.

The new automated OMRS system will offer a digital solution for modernisation in train operations across its rail network, said a senior Railway Ministry official, and added the project will bring in state-of-the-art global digital high-tech solutions to the substantial portfolio of the India business enabling Indian Railways in their journey of modernisation and digitalisation.

As part of the ‘smart yard’ initiative, the systems will showcase the next generation of condition-based predictive maintenance technologies.

The OMRS is a wayside solution comprising rail bearing acoustic monitor (RailBAM) and wheel condition monitor (WCM/ WILD) to detect faults in the axle — journal bearings and wheels of rolling stock.

The RailBAM technology uses acoustic signatures from bearings to identify defects in advance before they would be identified through human inspection. The WCM technology uses impact forces exerted by wheels on to the rail to identify wheel defects.

The OMRS systems will streamline Indian Railways’ operations by automating the inspections of bearings and wheels and pinpointing customised maintenance to maximise the utilisation of its rolling stock.

COFMOW is managing the deployment of the railways ‘smart yards’ across the country.

As part of the contract with COFMOW, Wabtec’s teams in Australia and India will lead the design, development, supply, installation and commissioning of 97 OMRS equipment sets in various zonal railway locations across the country. The data from all the wayside OMRS systems will be fed into a state-of-the-art central data control centre to be established in Delhi through the Wabtec Fleet ONE software.