Abstract
Maintaining a countries railway network forms an essential component of infrastructure development and economic productivity. Despite playing a very crucial role, the planning phase of these projects usually faces significant challenges that compromise project turnaround times, cost efficiency and overall performance. The objectives of the study were to identify key planning-related factors, assess their level of influence on project execution and planning and then propose mitigating measures to improve future maintenance planning outcomes.
A quantitative research methodology was utilised to achieve these objectives. Data was collected from participants using a structured questionnaire sent out electronically to experienced key stakeholders such as managers, engineers, supervisors, specialists and technical officers across multiple railway organisations in South Africa. A total of 55 personnel took part in the survey. The questionnaire included items measured on a five-point Likert scale focusing on factors identified during the literature review such as: procurement and supply chain delays, maintenance project planning, resource allocation, contract design, planning robustness, stakeholder coordination, maintenance dimensioning, possession planning, work timing, and regulatory requirements.
The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistical methods in SPSS including mean scores and standard deviations to determine the degree of influence of each factor and rank them accordingly. Results suggested that all factors were perceived by the respondents to have a high level of influence on the planning of maintenance projects. This is supported by mean scores ranging between 4.45 and 4.83. Possession planning (mean = 4.83) was deemed the most influential factor followed by stakeholder coordination and resource allocation. These findings emphasize the important role of integrated scheduling, clear communication and efficient resource utilization in promoting effective maintenance planning. The results showed relatively high consistency across responses (standard deviations between 0.37 and 0.69) reflected on a shared agreement among professionals regarding the criticality of these factors. The study also suggested mitigating measures for each factor, such as adopting hybrid planning models, enhancing regulatory flexibility, improving supply chain resilience and utilising digital tools for predictive scheduling and real-time data monitoring.
The study establishes recommendations of a practical set of guidelines or framework for assessing and improving planning in railway maintenance projects. The research findings suggest that strengthening stakeholder collaboration, integrating technological solutions and refining planning robustness are essential steps towards achieving sustainable and efficient railway maintenance operations. Future studies are encouraged to adopt mixed method approaches and incorporate longitudinal data to seek new factors, further validate and expand upon these findings.