The aim of the Wheel-Rail Program is to guarantee the best available technology, maintenance methods and management practices in order to:

Reduce maintenance costs for the track and rolling stock;

Increase the safety of operations in railway freight transport and passenger systems (urban trains, metros and light rails);

Reduce component failure occurrences (wheelsets, bogies, rails and track)

All economical benefits are calculated and validated through testing and measurements both on track and in workshops.

Evaluating possible benefits and the potential for cutting expenses (spreadsheet, modelling) – if there are no benefits, forget the idea;

Implementing solutions in the tests and pilot projects;

Measuring/monitoring the results of the suggested solutions;

Evaluating the real economy of the “before and after” or “solution and control” tests, or pilot project if economically viable;

Cascade solutions for the rest of the railroad/system;

A Wheel-Rail program is a long-term initiative;

Knowledge of the system, operation, laws of physics;

Establishing a baseline for the economical analysis (how much money is spent presently);

Inspections and measurements on the track, train operations, wheel workshops, etc. Observation of the real conditions and real weights, real dimensions, real impact forces, real resistance of the train, real rates of deterioration and so on;

Formulation of hypothesis, cause and effect, failure mechanism, etc.;

Thinking creatively – identifying ideas, innovations and solutions.