Case Study

 Case study  Creating an integrated hump yard simulation system CSX Transportation As volumes continued to grow in CSX Transportation’s rail network, its hump yards became congested. Partnering with CSX, we developed an integrated hump yard simulation system to help the company determine a hump yard’s true capacity. We identified bottlenecks, recommended optimal capacity expansion options …

Creating an Integrated Hump Yard Simulation System Read More »

 Case study  Evaluating an intermodal yard layout with simulation CSX Transportation CSX Transportation built its largest intermodal yard layout near Chicago using state-of-the-art technology. Employing a simulation system, we evaluated a given layout, identified capacity bottlenecks and created an improved layout that increased yard capacity by over 15 percent. 15% Increase in capacity​ 2011 Received …

Evaluating an Intermodal Yard Layout Using Simulation Read More »

 Case study  Developing a train schedule design BNSF Railway A railroad’s operating plan consists of railroad blocking and train scheduling. A blocking plan specifies how railcars between a specific origin-destination pair of locations are routed over the train network. A train schedule specifies how these blocks move over a rail network over a set of …

Developing A Train Schedule Design​ Read More »

 Case study  Locomotive operating plan optimization CSX Transportation Since train schedules and fleet sizes change frequently, railroads require a tool that regularly optimizes their locomotive operating plans. We developed a locomotive optimization software solution that created and maintained such a plan. 3-5% Reduction in operating costs​ 4,000 Size of optimized fleet It’s a complex undertaking …

Locomotive Operating Plan Optimization Read More »

 Case Study  Optimal Repositioning of Empty Containers Pacer Stacktrain Empty container movements result from geographical imbalances in supply and demand; for example, there are more loaded containers going from west to east in North America than from east to west, due to a high level of exports from China. We developed a model to help …

Optimal Repositioning of Empty Containers Read More »

 Case study  Using simulation to improve rail network efficiency When mining companies aim to increase their annual production, their railroads can often create a bottleneck in the supply chain between mines and ports. By using simulation to identify improvement opportunities in the rail network, companies can make variations to help sustain such growth in capacity. …

Using Simulation To Improve Rail Network Efficiency​ Read More »