Case Study: Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail identifies axle box bearing failure causes with Romax Technology

Root Cause Analysis for a national rail provider delivers new insight into axle box failure with Iarnród Éireann

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, Ireland’s national rail operator, was facing a rising number of premature axle box bearing failures on a modern fleet of diesel multiple units. The company needed an independent external view to determine whether the problem was caused by the bearings, loading conditions, or another issue, after internal discussions with suppliers and manufacturers failed to reach agreement. Romax Technology was engaged to support the investigation using RomaxDesigner software and engineering analysis.

Romax Technology carried out a root cause analysis through three work packages: detailed review of design and service data, physical and metallurgical inspection of bearings and grease, and simulation plus sensitivity analysis. The work ruled out several potential causes, identified key influencing factors such as bearing clearance, assembly, static loads, water ingress, and unequal loading, and delivered robust reports that could stand up to scrutiny. While no single definitive root cause was proven, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail gained clear direction for next steps and a more focused path to reducing risk, protecting operations, and improving rolling stock reliability.

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail

Damien Lambert

Technical Support Manager - Bogies and Wheel Sets