Patent ID: 8504225

Claim:
A method for determining the remaining service life of a component of a vehicle operated on at least one predefined track section of a track network, said predefined track section having a determined in advance effect on the service life of vehicle components, wherein: the remaining service life is determined for a vehicle component of the vehicle mechanically stressed by the interaction between the vehicle and the said track section, after a usage interval of the at least one track section, wherein the remaining service life of the vehicle component is determined from a prior loss of service life preset at the beginning of the usage interval for the vehicle component and from a current loss of service life of the vehicle component associated with the usage interval, wherein the current loss of service life is determined using an actual captured usage of the at least one track section by the vehicle and a relative loss of service life related to the actual usage of the at least one track section, wherein the relative loss of service life has been determined in advance for the at least one track section and at least the type of the vehicle.