Rail systems delivery - long term thinking for a long term environment

Many rail system delivery projects suffer with similar, if not the same issues and problems during delivery, often resulting in an increase in the costs and/or time scales associated with the implementation of the change. Within a commercial environment, the financial authority to undertake such a change is normally based upon the strength of the related business case, and the demonstration therein that the benefits to be delivered by the change exceed the costs, i.e. based on the anticipated return on investment. This paper provides an outline of the common issues and problems faced during rail systems delivery projects and describes how a systems engineering approach from the outset can reduce or eliminate the apparent conflict between the short-term project delivery objectives and the long term operational performance.