Approaches to Improving the Locomotive Maintenance Organization System Through the Introduction of Reliability Centered Maintenance

The efficiency of the locomotives depends on the rational use of technical resources intended for the smooth operation of railway transport. The organization of maintenance of locomotives is one of the most important areas in the railway sector and is constantly under development and improvement. One of the directions for improving the locomotive maintenance system is the use of the RCM methodology – Reliability Centered Maintenance – to optimize the planning of processes related to the maintenance of locomotives. In order to improve the maintenance system of locomotives, the authors made calculations concerning the predicted wear of wheelsets in locomotives based on a critical analysis of data obtained from the locomotive depot. The resulting calculations make it possible to predict the setting of locomotives for maintenance, considering the previous analytical data obtained during maintenance. The aim of improving locomotive maintenance is the reduction in downtime for locomotives that are idle waiting for maintenance. The paper presents the statement of the problem with the use of input data, analysis of the data, and their application for further prediction of equipment wear. The research shows that the application of the RCM methodology on the example of a locomotive depot allows for obtaining predictive data for subsequent use in the management of the maintenance system.