Approach to Assessing the Condition of a Railway System: Insights from Anneri Robinson of Hatch at the SAHHA Event
At the recent South African Heavy Haul Association (SAHHA) conference and exhibition, our editor, Phillippa Dean, had the opportunity to speak with Anneri Robinson from Hatch about her paper titled “Approach to Assessing the Condition of a Railway System”, co-authored with Nathan Wilson. The work focuses on addressing the ongoing challenges faced by railway operators, including asset decay and diminishing capacity, which affect both heavy haulers and transit clients alike.
Robinson explained that Hatch’s approach involves conducting risk-based asset condition assessments to understand the remaining useful life of railway components. This process helps clients regain confidence in their infrastructure and capacity, particularly critical when considering the role of rail as the backbone of multimodal logistics. With increasing emphasis on shifting freight from road to rail, maintaining rail systems to a high standard is essential for supporting such transitions.
The assessment process starts by understanding the current state of the entire railway system, from the loading points to ports, encompassing all components such as tracks, locomotives, and infrastructure. Robinson highlighted the importance of recognising that different subcomponents of the system do not all age or degrade uniformly, and this variability must be accounted for when planning capacity improvements or intermodal facilities.
One of the key advantages of conducting such condition assessments is the ability to provide clients with a clear picture of where to focus their investments to yield the highest returns. As Robinson noted, this involves looking beyond the current state and considering the asset’s future condition over the next 24 to 36 months or even longer. This foresight is invaluable for freight owners and rail operators who might be co-investing in infrastructure improvements, as it allows them to make informed decisions about where to allocate resources.
In the context of South Africa, where there is a strong push for private sector participation in the rail sector, Robinson’s approach provides a framework for collaboration between freight owners, rail operators and infrastructure maintainers. By aligning the objectives of these stakeholders, Robinson suggests that it’s possible to mitigate the seemingly competing interests and work towards the shared goal of maximising rail capacity and efficiency.
The insights gained from these assessments are not only beneficial for immediate operational improvements but also have significant implications for pre-feasibility and bankability studies. The detailed analysis of the condition of railway assets can help identify risks and priorities for investment, which is critical when multiple parties, including private investors, are involved in funding rail improvements.
Furthermore, Robinson discussed the potential role of these assessments in the insurance landscape, where rail assets are often seen as high-risk. By providing quantifiable data on the remaining useful life and condition of components like locomotives and tracks, these assessments could offer insurers a higher degree of confidence in the insurability of rail assets.
The conversation also touched on the ageing rolling stock across the region, where many locomotives and other rail assets are decades old. Robinson emphasised that the longevity of these assets depends heavily on consistent and proactive maintenance. While new technologies such as IoT and condition-based monitoring offer exciting possibilities for asset management, the high cost of implementation can be prohibitive. In such cases, Robinson’s approach to risk-based assessments offers a practical and cost-effective alternative for managing existing assets while planning for future investments.
Having a good understanding of the condition of a railway system is a strong foundational step towards improving capacity, efficiency, and safety in the rail sector. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders and providing data-driven insights, Hatch’s approach aims to support the sustainable development of rail infrastructure in South Africa and beyond.
