Young Talents in Maintenance - Work Planning as a Part of Smooth Run

Rosita studies energy and environmental engineering and has previously worked as a maintenance technician. However, she was interested in working as an engineer and while looking for open engineering positions with a future career in mind, Rosita came across a job advertisement for FleetCare, became interested, and applied.

Andreas, who studies Production Economics, applied to FleetCare because he wanted to do work that matters. The role of a work planner is important for the rail traffic’s smooth run, as the work planner schedules the maintenance of rolling stock in the most rational way possible within the available resources, such as materials and available staff.

Rosita and Andreas worked in shifts. The morning shift started with a meeting where the day’s maintenance jobs were walked through, and all related materials were updated. Then they got to start the work planning: what rolling stock will be taken into maintenance, on which track, when, and if there are other matters that need to be considered.

The evening shift continued where the morning shift left off. They completed the materials, printed the work orders, and passed them to the mechanics’ foremen. The job was complex but even though there were many moving parts, open communication, and good IT skills helped to structure the work.

Although the basic routines followed the same pattern, every day was different. Sometimes, for example, there were unexpected changes to the rolling stock that was in need of maintenance. Then the work had to be reorganized. Work planning aims to ensure that the train maintenance rotations are synchronized and that the trains are in the depot in time for their maintenance so that nothing goes out of service.

Rosita: “Our goal is to achieve customer satisfaction by scheduling all fleet maintenance work in a way that does not affect ongoing traffic.” 

Rosita says that the summer taught her a lot about both trains and working life. She is motivated by success, going above and beyond, and making sure everything runs smoothly. Her colleagues were nice and supportive, and help was always available.

Andreas agrees: "It's definitely the colleagues and the working environment that motivates me. And certainly, the fact that I get to do meaningful and interesting work.”

During the summer, Andreas learned trivia about trains and wagons, such as that the minimum diameter of a wagon's wheelset is 852 millimeters, and which types of wagons can be maintained outdoors. He says that this information made his planning work easier because in exceptional situations it helped to find solutions and keep the wheels turning.

Andreas: "I don't need to be alone in this, my colleagues support me and give me feedback."

Rosita and Andreas contributed their work as work planners to ensure that the fleet was in good condition and running. "We play an important role in safe and responsible train operation," Rosita sums up. Andreas gives a concrete example: 'If a report is made that there is broken glass in a restaurant car, it is our job to take the car aside and replace the defective car with an intact one. In some cases, it is not possible to replace the damaged wagon with a new one, and then we must use other means to ensure that the broken glass is replaced, protected, or taped. That way we can keep customers and train staff as happy as possible."

Veera has always been interested in rail transport and transport in general. She is studying engineering at university and applied to FleetCare because the working environment is interesting, the field is related to her major and the work supports her future.

She enjoyed seeing how the maintenance organization works in real life and being part of the supply chain. On the rolling stock side, there is a balance between the maintenance needs of the fleet and the resources of the maintenance department: how to get the necessary maintenance done and ensure that there are the right number of locomotives on the tracks. It’s a big responsibility, as rolling stock maintenance is a critical production for the security of supply, for example, and there is a lot at stake.

In her job, Veera needed organizational skills and the ability to manage her work. The job also taught her to schedule her work and to work under low pressure.

In Veera’s unit, group effort was the driving force. The common goal was to keep the trains moving and people helped each other. Working together was also motivating.

“Our work is very much a team effort, and I personally like it.”

It also felt good when the maintenance was completed, and the locomotive could go back to tracks. The results of the work were quite visible.

The summer was challenged by warm weather. Some locomotives do not care for the heat and in warm weather the need for maintenance increases. During peak periods, the maintenance required to keep the fleet running in traffic is prioritized. Maintenance that is not urgent can be carried out in cooler weather.

Veera’s role for the train passengers could be seen in the fact that the train is on time.

"The aim is to make our operations as efficient as possible, both for us and for train services in general," Veera sums up.

Ilpo first came to FleetCare for a traineeship as a mechanic back in 2016. After graduation, he returned to the same job before going on to study mechanical engineering. During his studies, he kept working at FleetCare during summers. Last summer he got a tip about an open position for a work planner, applied and now he works as a work planner for component services in Pieksämäki.

His responsibilities included work planning for the maintenance of wheel production, freight wagon bogies, air brakes, machine shop, and parts manufacturing. The work was rewarding, and Ilpo was pleased to be given responsibility and trusted. The meaningfulness of the work, his colleagues, and the good working atmosphere motivated him to do the job properly.

Ilpo worked in the component workshop during the summer, but he also filled in as a work planner in the locomotive production in Pieksämäki. He found that a nice challenge and was happy that there was enough work to be done. Project work and communication were important skills in his position, but problem-solving and situational awareness were also essential. Like other work planners, Ilpo's day could change on the fly and when that happened, it was good to know how to adapt to the situation at hand. Ilpo liked the fact that no two working days were the same.

"I can say there wasn’t any dull moment during the summer!"

Rail transport is in a really big role in Finland and Ilpo felt that his work had a big impact. If the work at the workshop does not progress, it reflects poorly on public transportation. Ilpo described his role as a part of a chain reaction: “It starts from us, goes on to the mechanics, and through them to the public transport. You can see from the outside that trains are moving, but behind the scenes happen things that make the trains move.”

All four work planners were happy with their work experience at FleetCare. Rosita says FleetCare is a great place to start a career, and Andreas is happy that everyone's contribution is valued. Veera likes the fact that at FleetCare she was given responsibility and that she got to really do things. Ilpo says that it was easy to join the team and that he felt welcome from the start.