Obsolescence model for the chilean railway network – Chile

In 2018, EFE (Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado), Chile’s state-owned railway company, entrusted SYSTRA with a major assignment: to carry out an obsolescence study, develop risk simulation software and propose an investment plan.

The Chilean railway network consists of 2,100km of track from north to south, of which 700km is electrified. It carries almost 40 million passengers per year. Obsolescence has led to an increase in the number of unplanned events that have paralysed the rail network.

SYSTRA was the technical leader of the project in collaboration with the Chilean engineering company POCH which was in charge of the contract. The project covered the entire Chilean network and encompassed all railway disciplines.

SYSTRA’s teams created a comprehensive register of railway assets and carried out a field audit to ensure the reliability of the data and an assessment of the condition of the assets. As part of the assignment, the following items were examined:

• the track
• systems (power supply, catenary, signalling, telecommunications, level crossings and central control)
• infrastructure (small structures, bridges, tunnels, stations, and workshops)
• rolling stock

As a result of this work, an obsolescence model was created and a railway risk analysis was carried out, making it possible to propose a customised investment plan for the Chilean public railway operator.