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Author: Prose

Assessment of the safety against derailment of a historic fleet running on “bicycle safe” track

Customer: Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB), Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Recording of vehicle data of the historical fleet
  • Clustering of the vehicles
  • Measurement of the “velogleis” system on site
  • Evaluation of the relevant parameters and classification regarding the applicability

Our Approach

By means of an objective computational method, PROSE evaluates the usability of the vehicles. The investigation of the derailment safety of the historical vehicles is performed regarding the track-related system parameters at the according location. Since such vehicle-technical data are only available to a limited extent for historic vehicles, the running gear design of the vehicles is additionally examined on site in the maintenance pit. For the evaluation regarding the usability, the wheel contact force is analyzed among other topics and the vehicle groups are evaluated according to their use (yes, no, under certain conditions) and documented in a report.

Customer benefit

PROSE’s expertise provides the customer with a statement about the usability of their historic vehicles over the installed track system “velogleis”.

Support for procurement of catenary line installation vehicle

Customer: Furrer+Frey AG, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Technical clarification, evaluation
  • Preparation and negotiation of the contract framework
  • Project management and client representation
  • Examination of the railspecific specifications
  • Manufacturing supervision
  • Homologation support in Switzerland, Germany and Austria
  • Service introduction support

Our Approach

In the tender phase Furrer+Frey AG entrusted PROSE with the technical clarification for the evaluation as well as with preparation and negotiation of the contract framework. In the execution phase PROSE officially represented the customer.

Customer benefit

Furrer+Frey AG profits from PROSE’s vast experience with procurement of rolling stock and from PROSE’s rail-specific expert knowledge. Competent and experienced experts provide support in the fields of design, development, manufacture and homologation of vehicles so that the customer does not have to provide project-specific resources. The project team managed by PROSE realizes early delivery of a customized vehicle adapted to the company’s work processes. The positive operating approval for Switzerland is included and the budget limit not exceeded.

Support for procurement of a road-rail motor tower car

Customer: BERNMOBIL, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Requirements management
  • Contract for work and materials as well as call for tenders
  • Evaluation of tenders
  • Examination of the specifications
  • Manufacturing supervision
  • Acceptance support
  • Test support FOT

Our Approach

In the tender phase BERNMOBIL engaged PROSE with requirements management, which included the preparation of the requirements specification and all other documents needed for the public request for tenders. Apart from the technical specifications, this also included work and material contracts, availability and reliability requirements, the evaluation model with assessment matrix, and general conditions for the future maintenance and support contract covering the first ten years of operation.

Customer benefit

BERNMOBIL profited from our vast, practice-oriented experience with procurement of rolling stock, as well as from our rail-specific expert knowledge. PROSE also provided access to competent and experienced contacts who could answer questions regarding the design, development, production and homologation of vehicles. The customer was also able to take advantage from the knowledge acquired by PROSE during the execution phase for all important project steps.

Support for the purchase of low-floor trams

Customer: Basel public transport authority (BVB), Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Capture customer wishes concerning vehicle technology
  • Support documentation of the resulting technical requirements
  • Consider the current state of technology
  • Take account of current technical rules and standards
  • Revise the draft specification
  • Conduct a technical evaluation of the submitted bids

Our Approach

PROSE employs experts with many years’ experience in rail passenger transport. This allowed PROSE to put the tender call in a correct and due form and to state the customer’s requirements so as to facilitate their practical implementation. PROSE also brought in current technical rules and standards and took current laws and regulations into account.

Customer benefit

The customer gained value because the PROSE experts, reduced the commitment of customer resources in the tender call’s development and because PROSE introduced knowledge of current technology and of corresponding systems and components in developing the concept for the tram. PROSE took into account the experience of other public transport agencies in recent rolling stock procurement projects and contributed to a neutral and impartial bid evaluation.

 

Owner’s representative for vehicles running on electrified railway network

Customer: ZPS – Zweckverband Personennahverkehr Saarland, SPNV Nord – Zweckverband Schienenpersonennahverkehr Rheinland-Pfalz Nord,  SPNV Süd – Zweckverband Schienenpersonennahverkehr Rheinland-Pfalz Süd, Germany

Project tasks

  • Assessment of the functional requirements, the quality and the schedule
  • Preparation of technical solutions
  • Build-up and maintenance of a vehicle information system
  • Technical consultancy within the scope of the controlling group

Our approach

Once the operator, the vehicle supplier Alstom and the vehicle maintainer have been appointed to carry out the operation in the Elektro-Netz Saar, PROSE was engaged with the Technical Controlling. The goal of this Technical Controlling is to ensure a long term maintaining of the vehicle asset value with an owners perspective. This Technical Controlling consist of a procurement, a development phase and a operational controlling phase. In the procurement project a asset management reporting tool was elaborated and procured. In the development phase the various vehicle assessments we developed and defined. In the operational phase of the project production quality has been stepwise assessed and reported to the owner. Over the concession period the vehicle maintenance quality is regularly assessed and reported.

Customer benefit

The customer benefits from a reduced risk for the competent authority by the procurement of the vehicles
The authority can make correct and targeted decisions thanks to the technical solutions prepared by PROSE.

 

 

Owner’s representative for FLIRT 3 vehicles

Customer: Landesanstalt für Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Project tasks

  • Evaluation of project deviations with regard to functional requirements, quality and schedule
  • Supervision of high quality manufacturing of all 66 FLIRT 3 trains
  • Monitoring of vehicle condition/maintenance during operation for the duration of the operation contract (9 years)

Our approach

Once the operator, the vehicle supplier Stadler and the vehicle maintainer have been appointed to carry out the operation Baden-Württemberg, PROSE was engaged with the Technical Controlling. The goal of this Technical Controlling is to ensure a long term maintaining of the vehicle asset value with an owners perspective. This Technical Controlling consist of a development phase and a operational controlling phase. In the development phase the various vehicle assessments we developed and defined. In the operational phase of the project production quality of 66 FLIRT vehicles has been stepwise assessed and reported to the owner. Over the concession period of 9 years the vehicle maintenance quality is regularly assessed and reported.

Customer benefit

The customer benefits from risk minimisation and quality assurance in vehicle procurement. Furthermore, proper executed delivery and homologation are ensured, as is the assurance of the vehicle’s condition during operation and maintenance.

 

 

Consulting for efficiency increase in maintenance and life cycle cost optimisation

Customer: ÖBB Personenverkehr AG, Austria

Project tasks

  • Implementation of benchmark and a concrete guidance for the application of the optimisation measures
  • Determination of the cost saving potential
  • Development of a standard methodology for future use cases in ÖBB passenger transport

Our Approach

First, an analysis of the current technical procurement depth of the tenders was carried out. In the next step, model calculations of investment costs (CAPEX) and operating costs (OPEX) were prepared, and a benchmark of the existing options for action was defined. The recommendations elaborated by PROSE show which adjustments would be reasonable in order to use the advantages optimally.

Customer benefit

PROSE enables ÖBB to provide a comprehensive overview and thus provides a basis for decisions on the choice of measures with which its medium and long-term goal of increasing efficiency can be realized.

Development of a standardised EMU requirements specification for EN15380-5 transverse elements

Customer: Swiss Railway undertaking, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Summarise the current situation and clarify needs in one document
  • Concept development incl. review
  • Implementation in specification reviews (statement and walk-through / inspection)
  • Training and presentation of results

Our Approach

For the respective cross-sectional topics according to EN 15380-5, PROSE created one-pagers for the mutual understanding of the topics, which were reviewed together with the client’s technical experts.

Customer benefit

By creating the standard specifications, which define and describe the requirements regarding the cross-section elements, the customer has final procurement documents at train level. The customer was able to benefit from the comprehensive know-how of PROSE’s experts, who were able to comprehensively narrow down the complex topic of cross-section elements.

Setting the standards framework for maintenance

Customer: Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems, Switzerland and Rail Vision, Israel

Project tasks

  • Definition of requirements management
  • Creation of a standardisation framework
  • Delimitation of life cycle phase
  • Obsolescence management
  • RAMS & LCC Management

Our Approach

PROSE supports Knorr-Bremse and Rail Vision within their endeavor and defines the normative maintenance framework that builds the basis for a life cycle service contract upon installation of the electro-optic sensor systems.

Customer benefit

After prototype testing is successfully completed at the end of the first quarter of 2021, the partners will examine further business opportunities for integrating these systems into rail freight vehicles.

Procurement support for bulk freight wagon

Customer: Holcim Kies und Beton AG, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Feasibility studies
  • Workshops
  • Procurement specifications

Our Approach

PROSE supports Holcim in the complete procurement process. In particular, PROSE deals with railway-specific issues and risks.

Customer benefit

​Through Prose’s expertise and support in terms of feasibility in connection with railway-specific requirements, Holcim has verified procurement documents. With the developed basics, Holcim can request potential vehicle manufactures and has a suitable basis to evaluate the offers according to their requirements.

Car body (bodyshell) development

Customer: Vossloh Kiepe GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany

End customer: Public transport company of Wuppertal, Germany

Project tasks

  • Development of the mechanical vehicle modules, i.e. car body and bogie
  • Project management
  • Definition and supervision of component tests
  • Homologation support

Our Approach

PROSE was responsible for the complete engineering of the main mechanical modules of the vehicle, which were the car body and the bogie.

Customer benefit

Given that PROSE was in charge of the vehicle development, customer VKD, who previously had been a component supplier, was able to expand its portfolio to the delivery of complete vehicles to the end customer. The know how of PROSE’s engineers in the field of turnkey engineering of complete vehicles, which is based on many years of experience with light-weight construction, was a basic condition for the successful results.

Development and delivery of module test stands for railroad construction machines

Customer: Plasser & Theurer, Export von Bahnbaumaschinen, Gesellschaft m.b.H., Austria

Project tasks

  • Development, delivery and commissioning of test benches for vehicle modules for construction machinery (e.g. power pack, cabin)

Our Approach

For the specific implementation of the tests, PROSE developed suitable algorithms for an optimal test process. PROSE was responsible for the complete delivery of the test stand in the project, from the conception and construction to the delivery of the fully assembled test benches.

Customer benefit

Plasser&Theurer benefited from PROSE’s engineering experience during the project. By outsourcing the entire development and engineering project, the customer had the advantage of having fully designed and assembled test benches available by the time the first vehicle modules were completed. The commissioning of the test benches by PROSE ensured that the components to be pre-tested only had to be mounted and connected to the test frame, which significantly reduced the overall production and commissioning time.

 

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