Each year, Railinc works in close coordination with the AAR's Railinc Committee and various AAR committees to identify programs that will ensure the highest value from industry investments. In 2025, Railinc is working on projects associated with Asset Health/Asset Characteristics, Asset Utilization and Compensation, Location Management and Interline. 

Asset Health / Asset Characteristics

  • Component Tracking Data Quality Improvements - This project will create new industry metrics and benchmarks, will update component validation and notification rules, will allow the industry to optionally report inspections, and will also provide required data to MID inspectors. These enhancements will improve component data quality, reducing the time spent manually correcting issues as well as reduce costs associated with incorrect component data.
  • TCOC Umler Integration Phase 1 - This project will validate Umler fields for newly added tank cars based on the data in the Tank Car Certificate of Construction (TCOC) application. This improved data quality will ensure that the tank cars are properly handled, thereby improving safety.
  • Umler Value Expansion - Create new advanced Umler search features and improve Equipment Identification Number (EIN) lineage tools to increase usability and data quality.
  • Wheelset Webservice Improvements - This project will update wheelset search and field registration webservices to include information on both wheels to improve data quality and industry recall safety.
  • Locomotive Horsepower Hour – Fuel Level Equalization Enhancements - This project will implement asynchronous interchange processing and extend the Manage Horsepower Hour reconciliation capabilities. The Horsepower Hour and Interchange Fuel Level dashboard will improve operational visibility.
  • Locomotive Traction Motor Recovery Management - This project will create a new workflow tool to help railroads expedite traction motor recovery. The application will contain point of contact and location information for traction motors and an automated notification system to expedite pick up and Locomotive Repair Billing processes, thus reducing current manual processes and costly administrative efforts.
  • ABD Validation Process Improvements - This will improve Acoustic Bearing Detector (ABD) validation process to align with the MSRP F: Sensors, S-6101 table of Validated ABD Software/Hardware/Fault Descriptor Matrix. This will change the Railinc system from site location validations to hardware/software combination validations to align with the current ABD validation process. This work will reduce the risk of alerts not being generated after validation is complete.
  • Defect Detection – Machine Vision Alerts 2025 - This project will add alerts generated by railroad machine vision portals to the industry alert repository (Equipment Health Management System). The alerts focus on items not easily seen by a 215 visual inspection.  Opening alerts at the industry level improves alert visibility and safety across interchange.
  • Study: Alert Analysis with AI - This study will conduct a detailed analysis of existing alert algorithms in the Equipment Health Management System for potential improvements that would reduce the incidence of false alerts and Line of Road Failures. The anticipated outcome of the study is a whitepaper and potential 2026 project opportunity definitions.
  • MD Reports Value Expansion - The Mechanical Defect (MD) Reports application is a pivotal centralized platform for reporting, evaluating, and investigating mechanical anomalies. This project will deliver application enhancements to MD forms’ usability, documentation, and validation protocols that will drive adoption and reduce manual effort.
     

Asset Utilization and Compensation

  • Loading Authority (OT-57) Enhancements - This project will introduce three enhancements to the Loading Authority application. First, the logic the system currently uses to address restenciled equipment will be improved and automated to place the restenciled equipment into the fleet without requiring user involvement. Next, the railroad possession logic in equipment queries will be enhanced by utilizing waybill data in addition to movement data. Lastly, this project will also enhance disposition requests by introducing a new flow to the process for equipment that is not active on a fleet. The new flow will allow the request to bypass the Fleet Manager/Controlling Entity and go directly to the appropriate Equipment Owner.
     

Location Management

  • Rail Industry GIS Value Expansion Phase 2 - Building on the work completed in the 2024 Value Expansion Phase 1 project, the GIS Committee will create a new standard for railroad routing, improved mileage calculations (station-to-station and ad hoc mileage calculations), and enhanced route restriction and alternate path options. This new standard will enhance railroad capabilities, increase efficiencies across the industry by establishing a single “gold standard” in mileage calculations (across railroads), and reduce railroad costs by eliminating redundant and disparate processes.
     

Interline

  • AAR Embargo / OPSL Permit System Level 4 Security Enhancements - This project will work to address regulatory requirements for Level 4 (emergency/very severe issue) embargoes by ensuring High Threat Urban Area (HTUA) and Level 4 Hazardous Materials are up to date and by creating a connection with FindUs.Rail for authorized users to update Level 4 security contacts.
  • AskRail ECC Value Expansion - The Railinc team will develop an integration for Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) to consume AskRail data directly, update the consist schema to contain all needed information for AskRail, and create a sunset plan for the mobile app to be replaced by the Launchpad version. These enhancements will increase AskRail coverage, availability for ECCs, and safety.
  • Centralized Waybill Scorecard - Railinc will develop a carrier and industry scorecard to measure waybill accuracy before railroad edits are applied and provide the railroads with the data to improve waybill quality.
  • Rate EDI Network (REN) Web Enhancement - This project will enhance the publications/price authorities search so that authorized users can search by date range, publishing status, or O/D pair and correct a display issue when viewing prices with multiple effective/expiration dates ranges exchanged in EDI 460. The enhancements will reduce administrative effort and improve data quality.
  • Rate EDI Network (REN) EDI 8050 Upgrade - This will update the Rate EDI Network (REN) system to be compliant with the EDI 8050 Rail standard.
  • Industry Reference File System (MRIRF) EDI 8050 Upgrade - This project will update the Industry Reference File system (MRIRF) to be compliant with the EDI 8050 Rail standard.
  • Interline Settlement System (ISS) EDI 8050 Upgrade - This will update the Interline Settlement System (ISS) system to be compliant with the EDI 8050 Rail standard.
  • Study: Centralized Waybill - This study will evaluate data gathered in the Centralized Waybill project and utilize new and emerging technologies to create a roadmap for centralizing the waybill process and reducing costly errors. The expected output is a whitepaper identifying the steps/requirements needed to centralize the waybill process for the rail industry.