Introducing new fleets is a major, transformative project for metro operators, so managing these projects and mitigating their impact on existing operations has been of interest to COMET members. The study proposer, Newcastle Nexus, has been replacing its entire fleet in recent years and thus is keen to discover metros’ experiences in this area to deploy best practices and minimise impacts.
Based on responses from 32 metros, the study explored key tasks, typical time periods, common issues, and implemented solutions during different stages of fleet introduction phase, starting from pre-commissioning stage to final acceptance. Examples of best practices for each stage were presented, along with a summary of metros’ recommendations for future fleet introductions with a focus on project planning, risk management, and quality control.
