ABSTRACT
Increasing cost pressure on rolling stock operators and infrastructure managers leads to an ascending focus on life cycle costs (LCCs). LCCs cover the total of all costs that occur over the life span of a product including acquisition, operation, maintenance, and disposal. Processes and methodologies for LCC analysis, the integration of LCC analyses in the management of railway assets, the application of LCC analysis in the different phases of the life cycle, and the integration of the LCC process in the quality process are described in this chapter. Furthermore, the objectives and benefits of LCC analyses are discussed. The chapter identifies cost elements of the LCCs of railway assets and points out how industry/suppliers and operators can influence the LCC of the product. Focus is put on the interaction of rolling stock operator and infrastructure manager regarding the LCC optimization of the whole railway system. On basis of two examples—the implementation of the hydraulic axle guide bearing and the change of the wheel material quality—the application of LCC analysis is illustrated. To complete the chapter opportunities of LCC, analyses for railway assets are discussed.
