Railway Application - High-Speed - Maintenance of High-Speed Lines

The railways and railway environment have changed fundamentally in recent times due to the internationalisation of high-speed traffic.

This IRS is applicable independently of railways' various organisational models and takes into account:

• new techniques introduced for different subsystems, including the latest technological developments relating to infrastructure and other subsystems,
• the publication of international rules and standards,
• new types of contracts to build, operate and maintain railways, requiring longerterm commitment,
• interfaces between operators (rolling stock) and infrastructure managers (maintenance),
• the extensive worldwide experience and expertise acquired over the last number of decades.

This IRS provides recommended practices for inspection and maintenance work. However, in light of future technological development and the variety of different maintenance strategies employed in different countries, the maintenance intervals/frequency contained in this IRS (e.g. in Chapter 9, Chapter 12, Appendix A and Appendix B) are for reference only, and users of this IRS may adapt them according to their own particular circumstances.