Providing operability

Providing rail operability means providing long-term and complex, safe and high-capacity railway infrastructure. It comprises of its own infrastructure structures, the superstructure, substructure, etc.) and utility structures for communications, signalling devices and electrical and power-supply facilities.

The provision of ongoing operability involves but is not limited to these activities:

  • administrative, supervisory and control function laid down by applicable acts, operating regulations on acts, standards and Správa železnic internal regulations
  • planning and provision of maintenance and repairs
  • operating, technical solutions of emergencies
  • provision of rail operability in the winter
  • ensuring safety at level crossings
  • collecting, registering and updating of data in Správa železnic information systems
     

The works associated with the provision of operability are carried out in different regimes depending on frequency and occurrence. There are periodic activities, scheduled activities according to current needs and activities performed on a case-to-case basis.

It is necessary to plan and coordinate the activities in a way as to avoid any negative impacts on seamless railway transport and rail operation.

A number of administrative and control tasks are conducted without interrupting the rail operation. and therefore there are high demands on the personnel performing this function, particularly in terms of health and safety.

Activities related to maintenance and repairs often require restrictions of the rail operation. Such activities are then conducted during the so-called closure-of-traffic time.

When providing rail operability, contingencies cannot be sometimes avoided. To minimise these cases, individual handling is essential auch as daily analyses of the conditions of the infrastructure.

A lot of attention is paid to the provision of operability in the winter when the track function must be provided during heavy snow falls and at temperatures below zero.

Procedures related to the provision of operability are governed at Správa železnic by many internal documents and regulations which aim to integrate procedures and work organization, set a uniform level of infrastructure parameters in terms of comfort for passengers, train economy and transport safety.