Impact of the freight car maintenance and repair system on the life cycle cost

Abstract

One of the main requirements for a railcar fleet is its reliability and safe operation throughout its entire life cycle. In turn, the life cycle cost of a freight car is determined by many factors. However, an important factor that directly affects the life cycle cost of a freight car is an effective rolling stock maintenance and repair system. The efficiency of freight cars is determined not only by their initial cost, but also by the costs of maintenance and repair during their service life. The life cycle of a freight car is defined as a sequence of stages, starting with research during the development and design of a car and ending with the termination of its operation and subsequent utilization.