Germany: The freight operator has implemented the solution at the Darmstadt Railport.
According to the company, the system allows for planning the supply of spare parts for the six-axle JT42CWRM-100 (Class 77) locomotives. The operator’s fleet comprises 60 such vehicles built by EMD.
Oil pump for EMD JT42CWRM-100 (Class 77) diesel locomotive. Source: Tina Henze/DB Cargo
As the locomotives were produced in Canada, the delivery time of spare parts can take from several weeks to 500 days, making traditional storage planning inconsistent. The new forecasting solution employs AI algorithms to combine historical consumption data with the information on mileage, maintenance intervals and workshop working conditions.
Six-axle EMD JT42CWRM-100 (Class 77) diesel locomotive in the DB Cargo fleet. Source: Tina Henze/DB Cargo
The system is reported to have demonstrated its efficiency. Predicting the demand for the oil pumps, the AI-supported model indicated five units (with the actual consumption of six ones), while the previous methods did not show any demand for those spare parts. DB Cargo claims that the new system has significantly reduced the locomotive downtime.
