Goods and passenger volumes are on the increase, and yet fleet operators are focusing more and more on their vehicles’ operating costs. There has been further privatization of the rail market in recent years, and in many countries state-owned companies are no longer the only rail operators – which have intensified the pressure of competition. Energyprices have also been steadily rising.That means that both state and private operators have to economize. They are taking a very professional, long-term approach, especially when it comes to supplier management. This means that life cycle costs are becoming increasingly relevant. This poses a huge challenge for sub-system suppliers as Knorr-Bremse.
If trains are going to keep operating on a daily basis for 40 or more years, their sub-systems have to be capable of functioning reliably for a similar period of time. But you can’t take that for granted – it presupposes regular servicing, well timed overhaul activities, mid-term modernizations etc.. And of course every operator’s requirements are unique – a mass-transit system in one country is going to have very different needs from a high-speed train operation inother countries.
Knorr-Bremse RailServices makes our global competence available at local level – in terms of both cultures and specific systems. To achieve this, Knorr-Bremse is developing core competences into specific, across-the board service products that enable Knorr-Bremse to operate as reliable, individual service partner right through to the end of the product’s life cycle. Knorr-Bremse RailServices offers service packages that have been tailored to the specific needs of individual customers and markets. In the field of logistics this can mean offering “kitting” or “boxing,” maintaining reliable spare parts inventories, offering just-in-time deliveries or operating pro-active obsolescence management, but might also mean maintenance support at local level or the training of local maintenance technicians.
When it comes to modernizations or mid-term upgrades Knorr-Bremse offers systems to improve train performance, economy of operation and to provide solutions already today following future le-gislation requirements– for example a new braking system that reduces the braking distance of a freight train, or lightweight equipment that enables a greater volume of freight to be carried or even TSI certified LL brake blocks for noise reduction with ICER IB116* blocks. Knorr-Bremse also retrofits driver advisory systems or modern sanding systems – making the operation of rail vehicles more pleasant, safer or more efficient. The range of products is really very broad. We even make sure, in the case of upgrades, that the new parts or systems have the necessary approval certificates.
Whether it is talked about braking, HVAC or door systems – Knorr-Bremse is the reliable contact partner and coordinates everything else at Knorr-Bremse,drawing on the expertise of an engineering department that has been specifically setup for this purpose. That is incredibly important in the real world. If we are trying to adapt one of our products to a customer’s own product, standard solutions seldom work.
For Knorr-Bremse service isn’t just a phrase. It means, for example, that experts from Knorr-Bremse are always available when a rapid response is called for. It means the systems training Knorr-Bremse is providing has been individually adapted to the needs of the operator concerned. It also means that Knorr-Bremse RailServices only sells original parts offering OEM performance – and guarantees their availability for decades. Andof course all operators have the security of knowing that all service centers rely on the procedures and processes of a tried and-tested production system.
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