FRESK is a wheel/rail/track cost management and simulation software package, developed by Sinclair Knight Merz, targeted for use by railway managers, engineers and operating personnel. The software package provides the capability to optimise wheel, rail and track maintenance and system operating policies, and to identify the economic consequences of deviating from these policies.
Unlike previous packages which addressed wheel, rail and track issues independently, FRESK provides an automatic interaction of individual wheel, rail and track management models. This approach allows fast and easy evaluations of the cost impacts of changes in any maintenance or operating policy, and establishes the basis for the automated optimisation routines.
The simulation includes wheel/rail interaction effects, in addition to existing track condition, wheel and rail grinding policies, track maintenance and lubrication policies, along with varying track segment speed requirements. Conditions leading to potential rail sub-surface defects, rail corrugations and derailments are automatically identified.
The software has been specifically configured for ease of use through the implementation of a forms-based graphical user interface in a Windows environment on a PC. Input data can be reviewed and modified in a convenient scrolling form on the screen. Simulation results can be viewed on the screen, either in tabular form or in clear, easy to interpret graphical displays. Project databases are automatically maintained in a simple format to ensure a direct link between input and output data files.