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Lean route to the reference enterprise has been built

E.P. MOROZKOVA, leading engineer of the new equipment department of the Technical Service of the Traction Directorate - a branch of JSC Russian Railways

JSC Russian Railways has declared the current year the Year of Exemplary Enterprises. For the first time, the Company is implementing a project to bring structural divisions to a standard state in terms of the use of lean production tools. In accordance with the order of JSC Russian Railways dated July 21, 2021 No. 1580/r, the operational locomotive depot St. Petersburg-Passenger-Moskovsky is designated as a pilot enterprise to bring the production system to the standard one.

The project implementation in the pilot unit takes place in three stages:

• before September 1, 2023 - level of development not less than average, or not less than 21 points;
• before September 1, 2024 - level of development is no less than high, or no less than 32 points;
• before September 1, 2025 - level of development not less than the target, or not less than 42 points.

To bring the enterprise to the status of a reference, a Methodology has been developed for bringing pilot structural divisions of branches of JSC Russian Railways in terms of the use of lean production tools to a reference state (Order of JSC Russian Railways dated August 3, 2022 No. 2007r). In addition, the structural unit is assigned to the curator of the Business Process Modeling Center of JSC Russian Railways, who provides assistance and weekly monitoring of the implementation of the program of activities. Under the chairmanship of the chief engineer of the Traction Directorate (DT), a working group was created at the operational locomotive depot, which included representatives of the Central Traction Directorate, the Oktyabrskaya Traction Directorate, the operational locomotive depot, the technical policy service of the Oktyabrskaya Road, which are in charge of issues of technology, economics, labor standards, provision of resources, implementation of lean manufacturing tools and training.

The level of development of the enterprise in terms of the use of lean production tools is assessed according to checklists, which include sections: achieving goals; tools dia
Gnostics; planning and logistics; Inventory Management; 5C and visualization; staff development; equipment efficiency and others. Based on visual tools such as the Value Stream Map, the Spaghetti Diagram, the Pareto Chart, the Five Whys? In the operational locomotive depot of St. Petersburg-Passenger-Moskovsky, production processes were analyzed and the process causing the greatest unproductive losses was determined.
Through a staff survey, the quality of working life at the depot was assessed. The survey showed that 73% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of work life. In accordance with the Methodology for bringing pilot structural divisions of branches of JSC Russian Railways in terms of the use of lean production tools to a reference state, an action plan using lean production tools has been developed in the depot (Fig. 1).
On a regular basis, the pilot depot analyzes the consumption of fuel and energy resources (FER) for train traction and the traction characteristics of the operating series of locomotives. A significant increase in fuel and energy consumption during operation of EP20 electric locomotives was revealed. This locomotive is classified as energy-consuming. Also, to equip the EP20, a large number of shunting movements are carried out from the Komsomolsky depot park to Rangirny.


To improve the performance of the enterprise, the improved stream “Organization of operation of the EP20 locomotive in passenger traffic and on the traction tracks of the depot” was selected. The target has been determined - reducing the specific energy consumption for traction of trains, reducing the hourly energy consumption for hot idle time and shunting movements by 10%, as well as reducing the wear of brake pads. To do this, it is necessary to reconsider the procedure for informing between the locomotive driver and the depot duty officer when electric locomotives EP20 enter the depot tracks, where the depot duty officer receives information from the drivers about the condition of the electric locomotive, the need to equip it with sand and wash the body, and only then plans to place the locomotives in positions according to the need for repair and equipment.
To reduce brake pad wear, the places where recuperation is used are being reconsidered. When operating EP20, in order to reduce the consumption of fuel and energy resources, the technology of high-speed trains on the St. Petersburg-Moscow section is subject to change, where points for shutting off one of the six traction engines will be installed. These places will be included in the regime maps.
Two lean manufacturing tools were used to identify bottlenecks and problem areas: mapping and spaghetti diagrams. Based on them, a value creation map of the current state of the process “Organization of operation of EP20 locomotives in passenger traffic and on traction tracks” was constructed (Fig. 2). The process time was 14.07 hours. Based on this flow map and eliminating bottlenecks, the depot strives to reduce the process time to 12.4 hours (future state value stream map).
In order to achieve the ideal state of process execution and its completion time up to 11.15 hours, a value stream map of the ideal process state was compiled (see Fig. 2). On
This map reflects options and points for improving the process, where it is assumed that all losses are excluded, there are no losses:

• & the depot duty officer, having information about the condition of the electric locomotive, plans the placement of locomotives into positions in the depot according to the need for repairs and equipment;
• & NEVZ has information about the need to equip, repair in advance;
• & The appearance of the locomotive crew is carried out immediately at the locomotive, registration for appearance occurs through the personal account of the automated control system. The paperwork for submitting train documents is the same;
• & EP20 heating is carried out from a 380 V installation;
• & all five locomotives are accepted into the Ranzhirny depot (5th to 37th track);
• & The train is supplied along a pre-prepared route;
• when following a section: switching off the 6th traction motor;
• by revising the recovery points and using electrodynamic braking, the wear of the brake pads will be reduced.

In pursuance of the item in the action plan to bring the pilot structural unit to a standard state in terms of the use of lean production tools, the following has been done at the depot at the moment (Fig. 3):

• within the framework of the improved flow, the places of warming up and delivery of EP20 locomotives are visualized;
• a safety stock of critical equipment for the locomotive heating installation was created, personnel were familiarized with it, a storage location was determined, and a specification was drawn up;
• based on the results of the survey and the wishes of employees, places were prepared and purifiers with drinking water were installed on each floor of the building;
• a 5C audit was carried out in departments and offices in accordance with the order “On organizing and conducting an audit of the 5C system” dated 04/03/2023 No. OKTTCHE-8-299.

The placement of three information centers has been organized: an enterprise information center, a project information center, and an information center in the room where pre-trip briefing is carried out (Fig. 4).
The project information center, located in the technical department office, contains information about the implementation of the project to bring the enterprise to the reference level in terms of the use of lean manufacturing tools.
The enterprise information center, located in the meeting room, displays information about the enterprise’s activities, implementation of lean manufacturing projects, performance indicators, problematic issues and key initiatives, as well as a log of orders from the depot manager.
Information about the improved flow, volumetric indicators, and the necessary documentation are posted on the information center in the pre-trip briefing room.



Based on the results of a survey on the quality of working life, a telegram channel was created at the request of employees, where information about life in the depot is posted. Links are posted in accessible places in the administration building.
The depot has developed personnel competency matrices - a visual tool that helps to competently organize personnel rotation and interchangeability of depot personnel, as well as the need for training.
To date, the following matrices have been created and approved:

• for high-speed drivers servicing EP20 electric locomotives;
• competencies of locomotive brigade personnel in columns, mentors and personnel reserve for replacing managers have been identified;
• competencies of engineering and technical workers, mentors, a personnel reserve of department heads and deputy depot heads have been identified (see Fig. 4).

In July 2023, the Center for Business Process Modeling carried out assessment activities of the first stage of the level of development of the production system of a structural unit in terms of the use of lean production tools, during which the following was assessed:

• > implementation of the Action Plan and results achieved;
• > achieving a level of development of a structural unit that corresponds to the cycle in terms of the use of lean production tools;
• > technological or economic effect and growth in labor productivity;
• > application of best practices and lean manufacturing tools when implementing activities (depending on the achieved effects, the most effective ones are selected for replication at other enterprises);
• > plans for further improvements.

It is noteworthy that in 2023, as part of the lean production competition, the list of nominations included the nomination “Best Exemplary Enterprise”, and the St. Petersburg-Passenger-Moskovsky operational locomotive depot has every chance to take its rightful place, given the interest in lean production in in their unit, both among managers and among depot personnel.

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