Functionality
In order to cover the functions of the planners or the manager, the Ecotrack system is divided into five principal application functions, one for each level. This way, it provides a gradually more detailed view of the functional model. Each level works with a certain number of decision-making rules.

Rules
When Ecotrack was developed the general idea was to facilitate the most complex element of track management taking decisions about the M&R Work Plan. This required the formulation and resolution of complex interrelationships between the on-site conditions to which the track is subjected (e.g. annual tonnage, axle loads, speeds), the state of the track geometry and material, and different M&R work. These interrelationships are referred to as "rules", some of which represent the deterioration process, some the restoration process as a consequence of the M&R work and some the rules resulting from decades of experience of M&R practice on various European railways.

Levels
Level 1 - Initial diagnostic
Level 1 determines the M&R needs per track component. For each segment of track, the system undertakes a fully automatic diagnostic procedure based on the decision-making rules. Then it displays the basic requirements regarding additional data for the more detailed diagnostic of track segments needing M&R work.

The system uses the rules for Level 1 to carry out an automatic preliminary diagnosis for each segment of permanent way, based on:

• Geometric condition  
• Permanent way structure (rails, sleepers, etc.)  
• Ballast and infrastructure. 

This produces the following output for each segment:

• The elementary work needed for each component (geometry, rails, sleepers etc.)  
• The additional information about the condition of the track that needs to be collected to complete the fact base. This enables us to carry out a more detailed diagnosis at Level 2 and to make proposals for renewal work. 

Level 2 - Detailed diagnostic
Level 2 uses any additional information that the engineer supplies. It then applies the decision-making rules for Level 2 to define the necessary elementary work. The plan produced at this level is interactive, i.e. the user can examine and modify the decisions proposed by the system. The output is a preliminary M&R Work Plan.

Level 3 - Coherence of the elementary M&R work
The necessary elementary work, the Level 2 output, is subjected to a fully automatic coherence analysis. This means that work of the same type is combined, provided they are proximate in time and location. But also different types of renewal work that are logically connected (e.g. renewal of sleepers and fastenings and ballast cleaning and renewal, sleeper and fastening renewal and rail renewal, or rail renewal and ballast cleaning/renewal), provided they are proximate in time and location.

Ecotrack works with three types of coherence:

• Spatial, i.e. between adjacent rail segments along the length of the track  
• Temporal, combining elementary work items on the same rail segment which are grouped closely together in time  
• Between different types of work, combining elementary work types, e.g. predicted renewal of rails and sleepers will be grouped together if close in time. 

The result is a final M&R Work Plan proposal.

Level 4 - Optimising the allocation of resources
In case of limited resources, Level 4 applies. This level is based on man-machine interaction. The user chooses the best alternative in accordance with the railway's M&R practice. The cost plan is estimated and the selected track M&R work optimised in long-term planning. Costs of continuous and spot maintenance and renewal work are included.

Level 5 - Overall network management
In order to achieve optimal management of M&R work on the entire network, a set of tools required by the planner is provided in Level 5. The powerful DBMS tools support the overall management of maintenance at a network level:

• Statistical analyses  
• Evaluation of the influence of permanent way components and of working methods  
• Simulation of different maintenance policies ("what if?"). 

These tools can be used to present information to senior management.