Systems Assurance in Rail

Systems Assurance includes management and engineering activities, such as reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) considerations. The RAM process assures adequate reliability, availability and maintainability of the entire rail and/or transit system and minimizes service disruption caused by equipment failures, operator errors and maintenance.

World-Class Best Practices

WSP has proven experience in establishing and implementing RAM programs, conducting RAM analysis, setting RAM targets, reviewing proposals and RAM submittals throughout a project. We have worked with international and domestic standards.

For example, we have developed RAM models that enable setting key performance indicators in California and in Toronto. This allows for the integration of On-Time Performance and apportion RAM targets to each system element using Mean-Time-Between-System-Incidents (MTBSI) and Mean-Time-Between-Critical-Failures (MTBCF).

Using Every Available Information = Best Solution

We use internal databases and experience from previous projects to perform our analysis. We also organize workshops with major stakeholders and experts to confirm our findings.

Our services include:

• RAM analysis and allocation
• Analysis of On-Time Performance Arrival
• Definition of RAM targets
• Development of MTBSI and MTBCF metrics
• Preliminary reliability analysis
• Historical product maintainability review
• Application of tools and methods such as Fault Tree Analysis, Failure Modes, and Effects Analysis
• Reliability-centered maintenance
• Corrective and preventive maintenance analysis
• Reliability and maintainability demonstration
• Uses of failure reporting
• Corrective action system, such as Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System (FRACAS)

We have worked with different agencies in providing these services, such as NYCT and Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corporation.