Toby Horstead, Senior Asset Planning Coordinator, RailCorp joins us to discuss the challenge of determining the asset life of turnouts. Turnouts require “much greater maintenance attention” than plain track and as someone who still believes that “nothing beats being on track”, Toby gives us a preview of the asset simplification at Ashfield Junction.

1. Tina Karas
Tina.karas@informa.com.au
Q&A Session: Asset rationalisation and maintenance in turnouts
Toby Horstead, Senior Asset Planning Coordinator, RailCorp joins us to discuss the challenge of determining the asset life of
turnouts. Turnouts require “much greater maintenance attention” than plain track and as someone who still believes that “nothing
beats being on track”, Toby gives us a preview of the asset simplification at Ashfield Junction.
You have affectionately called turnouts “that engineered defect in the track” that allows operators to
move trains around the track. What are some of the things that can go wrong with these engineered
defects?
The primary concern is the potential for derailment. In a signalised system the safety risk at the points
is managed to a degree and reliability becomes the concern - at the crossing there is no signal
protection. A turnout is a discontinuity in ordinarily plain track. I guess without appropriate
The Potters Bar derailment in 2002 which claimed seven lives maintenance effort the ultimate risk is an incident
such as Potters Bar in the UK where many people
were killed due to a derailment caused by a
turnout.
Defects (engineered or 'natural') require a plan
of management and much greater maintenance
attention and therefore turnouts require much
greater effort and time on track than plain track.
Source://www.guardian.co.uk
Turnouts are a critical safety and performance aspect of the rail network. Is it good practice to
unnecessarily slow your customers down for the just in case scenario?
A crossover, especially a facing crossing, can require a reduction An example of a RailCorp turnout
in track speed from the mainline design speed. This is to manage
potential for degradation of the steel work from impact of dynamic
forces. In order to find the balance between reliability and
interruption for maintenance the speed of a train on the through
road needs to be controlled.
Also, why add asset complexity and reliability risk to manage a just
in case scenario? It is likely that the operator will end up managing
delays from failure of the turnout asset installed for the just in
case.
RISSB National Rail Turnouts Workshop 29-30 November 2012, Hotel Realm, Canberra
www.informa.com.au/railturnouts

2. Tina Karas
Tina.karas@informa.com.au
How often do turnouts need to be renewed or replaced? And what are some of the challenges
involved in this effort?
This is the magic question - when do I intervene and refurbish or
renew to prevent a loss in performance and how do I avoid "When it comes to renewal,
touching an asset before intervention is necessary. Through first ask yourself,
can I remove the asset?”
understanding the average asset life and population of an asset
class, the averaged number of refurbishments or renewals can be
predicted. The question then is which assets are critical and which are in poor condition. Having
established how many and the priority, the next question is, can I deliver the ideal scope of work
with consideration to track access, funding and resources? When it comes to renewal, first ask
yourself, can I remove the asset?
Are there differences in turnouts issues across different networks and different states?
Obviously there are different gauges, and being from Sydney I do not see much of the complex
dual gauge turnouts (talk about an engineered defect). There are also differences in rolling
stock (wheel profiles, tonnage and tractive effort). However for the most part the same issues
exist across networks at the same critical areas of the turnout. Points adjustment, crossing
wear, check rail effectiveness, safety and reliability are all issues common across networks.
Turnouts are a specialised field of rail engineering. How did you
"Nothing beats being on track and
develop your knowledge of turnouts? What are some of the skilling touching the asset!”
options available for new entrants to the industry?
Toby (on the right) and RailCorp colleagues at the RISSB Osmosis! Simply through working closely with experienced
workshop in Adelaide last July
and knowledge filled staff and engineers. For me, the take
on my learning has always been about asset management
rather than the maintenance limits and defect
management. Nothing beats being on track and touching
the asset! In terms of skilling options, there’s in-house
training such as RailCorp’s Rail Engineering Course which
is focussed on track and civil and run by RailCorp’s
Chief Engineer, Malcolm Kerr. Another learning option is the
opportunities presented by the RISSB Turnouts Workshops. I
have appreciated the opportunity of learning by listening to
other presenters and discussing issues with maintainers and
suppliers.
You have over 14 years’ engineering
experience in the various NSW Government rail entities.
Have you seen a trend towards installing more or less turnouts within a network?
Up until very recently every capital project installed turnouts with the view of giving the operator
every option to move trains around the network and these assets were not removed when they had
become redundant. Evidence of this changing in NSW is seen in RailCorp's increased focus on asset
rationalisation through maintenance and in projects such as the North West Rail Link (NWRL). The
NWRL is delivering the minimal number of turnouts required and in the most favourable locations
and track alignment. I think industry is realising that more turnouts may reduce reliability not
protect reliability.
RISSB National Rail Turnouts Workshop 29-30 November 2012, Hotel Realm, Canberra
www.informa.com.au/railturnouts

3. Tina Karas
Tina.karas@informa.com.au
What have been some of initial results of Ralcorp's trial removal of 24 turnouts at Ashfield
Junction?
I guess the biggest thing I can say is that the booking out of these turnouts has not impacted on time
running. There was one incident - a fatality - that may have been managed easier had some of the
turnouts been available. There is some ongoing concern from the operations side of the business,
but initial results suggest that the network operates and can be managed perfectly well without the
24 turnouts at Ashfield.
Toby Horstead will provide an update on RailCorp’s asset simplication at Ashfield Junction project at RISSB’s
National Rail Turnouts Workshop in Canberra on the 29th & 30th November. He is also presenting a paper on
the benefits of determining asset life, criticality and priority for major periodic maintenance.
For more information, visit www.informa.com.au/railturnouts
RISSB National Rail Turnouts Workshop 29-30 November 2012, Hotel Realm, Canberra
www.informa.com.au/railturnouts