Optimal maintenance, by nature is suboptimal.
High maintenance costs is price You have to pay, at infrastructure standard no longer timely. (Electrification yes, but a timely 100 years ago, now means high costs, etc.)
The optimal railway, the requested, safely, with margins, provides for axial load allowed – and costs will turn affordable, etc.
Quality matters and pays. On time arrivals, and silent, comfortable riding on elastic and in x-, y- and z direction stabile track, is high quality…