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 2026, Railinc is working on projects associated with Asset Health, Asset Utilization, Location Management and Interline. 

Asset Health

  • Car Repair Billing (CRB) Price Master Process Rewrite (Phase 1 of 2) - This project will assess workflows, capabilities, and limitations of the current CRB Price Master survey generation and distribution process to define and deliver key improvements to the CRB system, ensuring accurate, up-to-date pricing is published via the CRB Price Master.
  • MID Platform for Field Inspectors (Phase 1 of 2) - This project will define the system requirements for a technology platform to support AAR Mechanical Inspection Department (MID) field inspectors and modernize current processes by reducing manual, paper-based data collection. This digital transformation will support improvements in process efficiency, data quality, and traceability while enabling more comprehensive data analysis and research.
  • Data Quality Monitoring (DQM) Additions and Enhancements - Building on DQM work initiated in 2024, future enhancements may include new DQM dashboards with key performance indicators (KPIs) for Cold Wheel Detectors, Dragging Equipment Detectors, Truck Geometry Detectors, and others, as determined by the Equipment Health Management Committee (EHMC). KPI improvements have also been recommended. The improvements will require guidance from various detector owners on KPI usability and individual site exception settings, with a primary focus on the quality of Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) and Hot Bearing Detectors (HBDs) KPIs.
  • MD Reports Data Analysis Tool – The Mechanical Defects (MD) Reports application houses decades of inspection data. This project will introduce a tool to analyze submission trends, inspection findings, and usage patterns over time, enabling more effective insights into mechanical defect reporting and industry-wide equipment health. Additionally, this project will enable process improvements around web services, bulk updates, and permissions.
  • Study: Short Line Detector Data Onboarding - This study will coordinate support from Class I partners to nearby Class II and III railroads, and explore alternative solutions, such as a device or partnership with an existing message transmit agent, to bring wayside detectors onto local networks and enable measurement data sharing. The study will conclude with documented best practices and a proof of concept developed in coordination with a short line or regional railroad engaged in Asset Health Strategy Committee (AHSC) initiatives.
  • Asset Health Common UI Enhancements - This project will enhance the Asset Health Common User Interface (UI) with features supporting improved analysis, accuracy, and consistency in industry processes, including a repository for managing detector calibration documents and interactive data visualization tools that enable dynamic, user-driven trend analysis for the identification of actionable insights.
  • Submerged Equipment Identification - This project will develop an industry process that utilizes technology to identify and flag submerged components for inspection. Supporting the industry with this process will supplement current manual efforts to properly identify and prioritize equipment for inspection while reducing the risk of derailments.
  • Locomotive Bad Order Management Expansion - This project aims to automate the calculation of Bad Order time, sourced from Umler, Locomotive Health and Status, FRA OTMA, and Traction Motor in Horsepower-Hour Fuel, reducing administrative effort.
  • Study: Locomotive Shared Data Repository - This study will create the infrastructure necessary to house shared locomotive data to create scorecards, identify metrics, and ensure data accuracy pertinent to locomotive fleet management.
  • Tank Car (TCID) and Umler Integration Phase 2 - This project will improve data quality in Umler and Tank Car Integrated Database (TCID) by validating Umler fields for altered tank cars based on the data in TCID. The project will also provide validation for the alterations against the AAR Certification number. This improved data quality will ensure that the tank cars are properly handled, thereby improving safety.
  • Umler Value Expansion Phase 2 - This project will improve data quality in Umler and reduce administrative effort by clarifying business rules, providing data input examples, and linking displayed data to the corresponding transaction.
  • Component Tracking – Tank Car Components and AAR Approval Number Renewal - This project aims to increase visibility of Components Vacuum Relief Valve (VRV), Rupture Disc Device (RDD), and Combination Device (CD) performance and enable VRV/RDD/CD recall by adding VRV/RDD/CD to Component Tracking. It will also streamline the Pressure Relief Valve (PRV) AAR Approval Number renewal process while also capturing digital copies to allow manufacturers an improved transfer of documentation to car owners.

Asset Utilization

  • Car Hire Claims System - This project will create an industry system to process Car Hire Claims. This system will reduce the time and effort required for the industry to complete the Car Hire Claims process. Currently, Car Hire Claims are processed between the Equipment Owners and the Railroads according to the OT-10 Car Hire Rule 11, RIC6007-O, and OT-3. This system will combine the processes and allow for submission of claims through a central industry system.
  • Car Hire Data Exchange (CHDX) Modernization - This project will introduce enhancements to the CHDX application by modernizing the user interface and the error and warning messages, creating a new suite of reports, and updating how CHDX receives and delivers data to participants. Modernizing CHDX will provide greater, enhanced visibility into the data exchanged between owners and railroads, allowing customers to transfer CHDX data via cloud-to-cloud integration.
  • Car Hire Rate Negotiation Self-Service (CHRNSS) Enhancements and Industry Documentation - In this project, the user interface will be enhanced with new capabilities within the bid/offer process, which will reduce administrative efforts for the industry and maximize efficiency. Additionally, industry documentation will be reviewed for this project which will ensure accurate and standardized documentation for deprescription rules and processes.
  • Liability Continuity System Enhancements (Umler and DDCT) - This project is for the creation of a new LCS decision when equipment is removed from Umler. Currently, when equipment is removed from Umler, LCS does not create an end of Car Hire Liability, and liability will continue through the end of the month. This project will create a new process when cars are removed or re-stenciled in Umler, which will prevent the industry creating overpayment on equipment that is no longer in Umler.

Location Management

  • RIGIS Routing and Mileage Enhancements and Integrations - This project will establish additional data layers in the Rail Industry GIS (RIGIS) schema, builds out an industry Linear Referencing System (LRS), expands routing capabilities to include intermodal (truck/rail), and allows the railroads to manage their own station-to-station interline mileage. Mileage calculations will be completed using industry owned and maintained station locations and track network (RIGIS Location Master and the RIGIS routing network).
  • Study: Next Generation 911 (NG911) Impact - Next Generation 911 (NG911) is a modernized, internet protocol (IP)-based system that replaces the legacy analog 911 system. This study will review the impacts that the NG911 systems implementation will have on the railroad industry, assess the feasibility of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems integrating with the Rail Industry GIS (RIGIS) platform, and outline the findings in an industry white paper.
  • Study: Remote Device Data Analysis and Integration - This study will focus on the analysis and integration of remote device data for equipment movements and assist with the task of railcar tracking. System analysis and integration will include the TeleRail Automated Information Network (TRAINII) event data, Rail Industry GIS (RIGIS) / Location Master - Event Reporting Location (ERL) analysis, the possibility of improving Equipment Cycle (EQC) trip logic, improving Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) / Estimated Time of Interchange (ETI) predictions, and integrating alerts to Asset Health products. The results of the study will be provided in an industry white paper.

Interline

  • AskRail Data Integrity and Usability - The Railinc team will increase AskRail data integrity and usability for users, close gaps in AskRail data, develop additional training tools, and enhance current consist export functionality. These enhancements will improve data quality, user experience, and safety.
  • AAR Embargo/OPSL Note and Permit System Enhancements - This project will enhance the visibility of Embargo 824 permit information and hold notifications, improve the mobile device user interface to optimize administrative processes, and enhance various application features as identified by the Embargo Application Task Force, ultimately driving greater operational efficiency.
  • Overcharge Claims Modernization - This project will create a centralized claims system for railroads to communicate and resolve overcharge claims outside of the Interline Settlement System. This project will reduce manual administrative efforts, improve data quality, bridge communication gaps, and accelerate transfer of funds.
  • Interline Operations Research Tool - This project will create a new user interface (UI) designed to provide waybill and event data for analyzing interline movements. This tool will also proactively identify trends and help to address systemic issues.
  • Forward and Store EDI Upgrade - Updating the Forward and Store system to be compliant with the current EDI Rail standard will allow the industry to utilize industry requested changes and federal regulatory requirements for the EDI 417 (Waybill) and EDI 421 (Trip Plan) message types. The changes will be collected over a two-year period from the industry to meet changing business needs and improve communications between carriers.
  • Study: Serving Carrier Reciprocal Switch (SCRS) and Rail Service Finder (RSF) Data Quality - This study aims to assess existing problems, analyze their impacts, identify potential solutions, and prioritize these solutions for future initiatives. The anticipated result is a set of opportunity definitions for projects in 2027.
  • Rail JSON Schema Standardization - The Railinc team will create Rail JSON schema documents that can be used as an alternative to EDI for the modernization of various industry systems and services. JSON formatted data has proven to be a favored modern format and will serve to improve data quality, supportability, and maintainability for any system that uses the format as opposed to EDI or other common formats.