Determinants of Railway Complexity Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Illustrating and Discussing the Determinants of Railway Complexity

Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Content of the Presentation

• Background Information on Complexity of Railways
• Analysing Determinants of Comlexity with Examples
• Diversity
• Variability
• Dispersion
• Interdependence
• Findings and Recommendations
• Conclusion

2 Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Complexity of Railways

• What is Complexity?
• Complexity is generally used to characterize something with many parts where those parts interact with each other in

multiple ways.

• Why Railway Systems are Complex?
• Railway systems involve great variety of components and these components have to interact with each other in a correct

manner in order for the system to be safe.

• What are the Determinants of Railway Complexity?
• Complexity of Railways can be classified as:
• Diversity
• Variability
• Dispersion
• Interdependence
• All these determinants have both physical and
• rganisational effects on railway systems.

3 Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Diversity

• Railways have numerous different kinds of

technical and organisational subsystems and components:

• Technically: Type of the elements used in

railway construction, maintenance and

• peration. (Different type of sleeper, rail,

rolling stock, etc.)

• Organisationally: The type of train services

running for different purposes. (Freight train service, high-speed passenger, etc.) Also, type of control systemsand traffic operations. (line-side signalling, automated systems, urban traffic, regional services, etc.)

4 Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Diversity

5 Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Variability

• Conditions are not always same!
• Weather, nature and requirements

vary.

• The most importantly, people change

their minds!

• A successful railway system must

satisfy all requirements in any condition.

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• Usame EKICI

MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Dispersion

• It is essential for all transport

sector businesses to distribute their staff and assets widely.

• True staff allocations should

be made for each parts in the system and job definitions should be made clear.

• While planning a railway route,

locations of assets, customers and staff have to be decided after proper analyses and statistics.

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• Usame EKICI

MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Interdependence

• In railway systems, almost all

components are dependent on each other. Subsystems always interact with each other and they are all tightly coupled.

• The rail is a characteristic of

civil engineering and wheel is

• f mechanical engineering but

they both behave according to each other’s needs and limitations in order to operate the trains economically and safely.

• Locations of railway stations

should be decided considering people’s availability to reach. So it is depended on the other public transport systems.

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• Usame EKICI

MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Interdependence

• Railway operation is dependent on

maintenance works.

• Railways can be interacted with

maintenance works even maintenance is not on the railway line.

• Organisationally, standards and

laws tell how to build a railway and how to operate.

• Rules and standards are

researched by experts to ensure safe operation of trains, and they have to be obeyed.

9 Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

How to Eliminate Problems Due To Complexity

• Major problems occur due to

difficulty of complexity.

• Sources of complexity should

be analysed carefully.

• Experience and team work are

the vital parts in this process.

• Good project planning and

management minimises the problems of complexity.

10 Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

Systems Engineering Approach as a Solution

• Systems engineering approach should be adapted to projects. That will provide

traceability and help minimise the risks of complexity.

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Railways are highly complex systems and problems arising from complexity can be minimised if the determinants of complexity are well understood.

Usame EKICI MSc Civil Engineer, Turkish State Railways, Turkey Thursday, 9th July 2015, Sessions: 6D - System Choice -

...Thank you

for your kind attention