Annual Report 2006 (pdf) - EuroMaint Rail

EuroMaint Rail
Maintenance of Stockholm’s
commuter trains
– a prestigious contract
During the night between 17 and 18 June 2006, the company Citypendeln transferred operation of Stockholm
Transport’s (SL) commuter traffic to Stockholmståg, with EuroMaint Rail as the maintenance supplier.
The competition from Swedish and foreign players alike was particularly strong for this prestigious contract.
“We didn’t pay that much attention to the competition, instead we
concentrated on SL’s needs and, together with our partners in the
Stockholm Train Alliance, on finding the best solutions,” says Niclas
Flodin. He is the Contract Manager for the maintenance agreement
and head of the maintenance unit which EuroMaint Rail took over
from Citypendeln.
Gentle flying start for our new employees
The contract brought EuroMaint Rail around a hundred new employees
and operation of two workshops, one in Älvsjö and a brand new one
in Bro. When we take over such a large organisation we have to be
respectful and not change too much too quickly. We therefore decided
to make the existing organisation a separate unit within EuroMaint
Rail. The most important element ahead of start-up was to quickly
familiarise our new colleagues with our way of working, our systems
and routines.
New thoughts on availability
The introduction also included informing as many people as possible
about our approach to train maintenance. There were many conventions
in place; for example major overhauls required trains to spend
several days in the workshop meaning they were unavailable for service.
We on the other hand prefer to split major overhauls into smaller
parts which can be carried out at different times. This enables us to
make use of operational breaks during low traffic for maintenance
work, thus increasing the trains’ availability during peak periods.
Lower costs or increased income – or both?
As train maintenance is our core business, we work with both the
cost and the income side of the business. Using a well-considered
strategy for process, technology and value development, we are more
cost-effective and help ensure the trains are available more of the time.
For example, at the new workshop in Bro we have invested in a View
system which automatically checks the condition of brake linings and
wheels – a safety task that would otherwise entail a lot of manual work.
Increased punctuality and reliability
– the biggest demands
SL has three generations of commuter train. The oldest are X1 trains
from the 1960s which are being replaced by new X60 trains up to
November 2007. The X10 trains from the 1980s are still at their peak
age from a technical perspective.
The more generations of rolling stock, the higher the demands on
the maintenance organisation. It is always difficult to get hold of spare
parts for old trains. At the same time, new trains often experience
teething problems. Thanks to our vehicle engineering know-how and
well-developed maintenance, we do everything to minimise the risk of
delays and a lack of carriages. Increased punctuality and reliability are
the biggest demands, from SL and rail commuters alike.
“The contract brought
around a hundred new
employees and two
workshops”
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