A model for the life expectancy of railway switches and crossings for maintenance and renewal planning in asset management systems

With the help of databases of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS), statistical analyses are carried out on the lifetime of railway switches (points) and crossings. The expected lifetimes are attributed to different parameters which influence the speed of geometrical degradation or wear of the material, e.g. total train loads (expressed in cumulative tonnages), axle loads, train type, the quality of the foundation.