Tram and light rail operators face numerous challenges in balancing rolling stock maintenance with service demands. Regular servicing and repairs are needed, but removing too many vehicles at once risks disrupting operations and inconveniencing customers. While preventive and predictive maintenance reduce the likelihood of breakdowns, unexpected failures still occur, which in turn need immediate corrective maintenance. Limited spare vehicles and unpredictable failures add more complications to the allocation and scheduling of maintenance resources.
In addition, workforce and logistical factors contribute to these challenges. Skilled technicians are essential but are often in short supply, with turnover and training needs affecting the efficiency and response times. Moreover, compliance with regulations and industry standards adds more planning, inspections, and documentation needs. Furthermore, depot capacity constraints also create bottlenecks, making careful scheduling and efficient space management critical to keeping maintenance operations on a satisfactory level.
In this context, this case study investigates how light rail and tram operators address challenges related to shift planning in rolling stock maintenance, and the measures and strategies implemented to address them.
The report includes contextual information on maintenance activities, workforce composition and facilities, a comparison of shift models and their impact on staff health and wellbeing, and the management of essential maintenance activities.
