Learn What Works Across Europe’s Long-Distance Operators—And Why

High-speed and long-distance mainline operators are facing intensifying demands: deliver more reliable, available, and cost-efficient fleets, while also adapting to stricter cross-border performance and decarbonisation targets.

For example, some UK and European operators are exploring hybrid traction—diesel-battery, and diesel-battery-electric locomotives.

At the same time, interoperability shifts like ETCS retrofitting are reshaping not only asset strategy but depot workflows as well.

Overlay that with the core priority: extending the lifespan of existing fleets. Whether through retrofitting CBM to targeted components or applying predictive analytics to other asset types on newer trains, the aim is the same—maximise value without unnecessary overhaul.

Sessions will explore:

· How operators are tailoring maintenance approaches—predictive, CBM, time-based, or hybrid—

   based on fleet age, usage, and risk profile

· Case studies on adapting strategies for new, mid-life, and aging trains

Where CBM & Predictive Maintenance Fits—and Where It Doesn’t

For newer rolling stock—say, under 10 years—the question becomes: how do we future-proof maintenance regimes without getting too experimental? 

Day One of this conference focuses squarely on that: how availability can be optimised across new, mid-life, and aging fleets.

How do you calibrate the right maintenance strategy for each fleet type?

 Who’s doing it well? What lessons emerged from first attempts—and what do operators wish they’d known before starting out?

The message from operators is clear: predictive maintenance holds real promise—but unless it scales across fleets and depots, the return stays theoretical.

That’s why there’s growing appetite for a more grounded conversation: not just about predictive in isolation, but about how condition-based maintenance (CBM) can be practically rolled out—especially when integrated with time-based, preventative, and modern RCM strategies.

In fact, many are re-examining RCM.

Yes, it’s seen as a legacy framework—but its modern evolution, incorporating CBM and predictive elements, is proving effective for several operators.

That perspective will also be represented in the agenda.

Our focus isn’t just on the tech—it’s on integration.

How do we link new systems with old ones?

How do we make dashboards actionable for the workforce?

Where do we need to watch for false positives?

And most importantly, how do we embed these models into depot processes so they actually deliver measurable results?

This is where strategy meets practicality.

The agenda and speakers will break down: 

· How and where to retrofit CBM for aging fleets to extend asset life cost-effectively

· Deploying predictive tools on newer stock—what to monitor, how to act, and what to avoid

· Balancing digital alerts with human workflows to improve availability

Predictive, CBM, and RCM Integration

Whether it's CBM on legacy fleets or predictive layers on new units, we’ll hear how leading operators are tracking KPIs such as:

• Delay minutes per failure
• Mean time between failures (MTBF)
• Cost per train
• Ratio of corrective to predictive interventions

We’re encouraging all speakers to ground their insights in operational KPIs, not just theoretical benefits.

Most fleet operators now manage a mix of new, mid-life, and legacy stock.

And across our pre-conference discussions, there’s been strong demand for holistic, strategic case studies.

Not generic “integrated maintenance frameworks”—but real stories of how operators lifted performance and availability across different fleet types.

That’s where we’ll go deep:

 How has CBM specifically improved mid-life fleet performance?

 How did time-based regimes evolve into targeted CBM on high-failure components—and what was the financial payback?

Because let’s be direct—in today’s climate every euro and every pound counts.

And if predictive or CBM is going to deliver value, it needs to pay its way.

So across all sessions, that’s the lens:

What does it really take to make predictive pay off?

Where have operators cracked it on legacy fleets—and how did they embed it into depot execution?

That’s a snapshot of what’s in store for high-speed and mainline operators.

The provisional agenda(without speaker names) will be available to download from July 21, and we’ll start rolling out speaker announcements from August 11, 2025.