RCM: Railway Transit Maintenance to Achieve Optimal Performance

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the types of obstacles and patterns experienced by a single heavy rail transit agency located in North America that embedded a Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) Process. The outcome of the RCM process also examined the impact of RCM on availability, reliability, and safety of rolling stock. This qualitative study interviewed managers (10 cases), and non-managers (10 cases) at the transit agency obtain data. The data may serve to help rail transit leaders determine future strategic directions that would improve this industry. The research method for the first portion of this qualitative case study was to collect data from subjects by administering an open- ended, in-depth personal interview, of manager and non-managers. The second portion of the study explored how the RCM process affected rolling stock for availability, reliability, and safety. The second portion of the study used data derived from project documents and reports (such as progress reports, e-mail, and other forms of documentation) to answer questions about the phenomena.