Further to the results of the international survey “Your training needs” conducted in 2010, the UIC is launching its inaugural training session on “Asset Management and Key Performance Indicators for Railways”. This training session is an initiative of both UIC and Eurnex (European Rail Research Network of Excellence). It will take place at UIC Headquarters from 17 to 19 October, 2011.
The management of physical assets (their selection, maintenance, inspection and renewal) plays a key role in determining the operational performance and profitability of industries that operate assets as part of their core business. Asset management comprises all systems, methods, procedures and tools to optimize costs, performance and risks over the complete rail infrastructure life cycle.
The main goal is to achieve optimum value for money.
Over the years, and as the need for infrastructure managers (IM) to adopt a more commercially-oriented attitude has developed, it has proven to be vitally important for every IM to understand the link between accounting and charging, requiring the adoption of a business logic ensuring that cost drivers are properly identified and controllable and that investments are made taking into account future needs. To this end, railway infrastructure cost accounting frameworks should deliver more than just important background information for setting charges - crucial for good business management is the ability to produce a cost and revenue comparison by market segment. This can then underpin decisions as to which services business activities should focus on and what levels of public funding are required to fulfil Public Service Obligation (PSO) agreements in the scope of multi-annual contracts with predefined levels of service. Finally, railway infrastructure cost accounting frameworks should also deliver accurate information for the regulator in order to ensure impartiality and fairness in railway market access. The guiding principle for the regulator will be to check that the resulting differentiation of track prices is free of discrimination.
This three-day course will provide case studies, materials and in-depth analysis of instruments for more efficient and effective management of railway infrastructure in future, with a view to competition and an environment where public and private parties interact and share costs and benefits.
The course will explain key economic concepts as well as the statistical methods used to estimate efficiency. It will also explain alternative “bottom-up” engineering methods and how these are used by regulators alongside statistical methods to reach a judgement on efficiency. Throughout the three days, examples will be used drawn from practical case studies on economic regulation and wider studies of rail reforms around the world.
The speakers will be experienced academics and practitioners with a good knowledge of the reality of railway systems and their pragmatic needs across the world. They will provide participants with state-of-the-art practices, innovative solutions and a challenging discussion on the future of railway infrastructure management, supported by sound theoretical underpinnings. The training is targeted at managers in rail companies, regulators and/or transport ministries (local and national) with an economic remit. It is also opened to PHD/post-graduate students and young researchers.
For more information and to register:
http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article2034
