Introducing Lu Wong, our Global Lead for Railway Asset Maintenance

Lu Wong, Ricardo's Global Service Lead on Maintenance Support, is the key advisor for customers seeking support across our maintenance advisory services.

Profile: A Chartered Engineer, Lu has over 28 years' experience in the Operation and Maintenance of metro systems, during which he spent a period of time in Hong Kong overseeing the safety, reliability and operations of one of the world's busiest railways, serving 5.9 million daily passengers. He possesses a diverse set of skills across maintenance and asset management, rolling stock engineering, incident recovery, and change management, with previous roles that have involved new route planning and the procurement of major equipment, including specification preparation and tender assessment.

Lu joined Ricardo in 2020 as a Maintenance Strategy and Planning Advisor, with a particular focus on Asset Management and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) for metro assets, including infrastructure, rolling stock and depot facilities.  Additionally, he has performed advisory roles ensuring Operational Readiness and Testing & Commissioning (T&C) of new lines and extensions. 

When does Maintenance Support service begin to add value?

“Maintenance support services begin at the procurement stage of new assets,” says Lu. “Lessons from past Operations and Maintenance experiences, along with customer feedback, have provided valuable insights for designing asset specifications and preparing for O&M readiness. This approach ensures a smooth opening of new lines while also reducing life cycle costs by creating a system with greater reliability, availability, and maintainability.”

“With our experience in actual system performance during operations, including the integration of different systems, we can adopt a ‘future-back’ approach to enhance our system design and maintenance provisions from the outset of the asset life cycle,” he adds.

How could we benefit at different stages of the asset life cycle from maintenance optimisation?

“Once assets are operational, maintenance support is crucial for optimising performance and reliability. By adjusting maintenance regimes based on actual asset performance, organisations can achieve significant cost savings and enhance utilisation. This data-driven approach allows for timely replacements of parts and aligns preventive maintenance schedules with the real conditions of the assets.”

“Additionally, employing methodologies like Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and Reliability-Centred Maintenance (RCM) supports continuous improvement and ensures safety during regime changes.”

“In the later stages, maintenance support focuses on enhancing organisational efficiency and accountability. By clearly defining roles and responsibilities within the maintenance organisation, we can optimise task planning and implement robust quality management processes. Improved work order planning and reporting systems help us manage outstanding and overdue tasks effectively. These enhancements lead to greater accountability and improve overall maintenance performance, ensuring that assets remain reliable and efficient throughout their lifespan.”

Ricardo delivers

In maintenance support services, Ricardo’s subject matter experts, with our extensive experience in metro operations and maintenance (O&M), deliver projects from an O&M perspective. We consider real-world constraints and challenges while incorporating best practices from the global rail community.

For more information see: Rail Operations and Maintenance

Connect with Lu via LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/LuWong