War Room collaboration driving safety and service improvement

Keeping freight moving safely and reliably throughout a 22-state network requires collaboration, precision, and vigilance. At the heart of this effort is our Network Operations Center (NOC). This 24/7 hub monitors and directs train movement across our railroad, helping to ensure our customers receive the service they need to be successful.

Supporting the NOC, are specialized War Rooms. These permanent, cross-functional teams are focused on critical areas such as wayside operations, locomotive reliability, and car maintenance. They monitor real-time performance, reduce delays, and engineer long-term solutions.

Data-Driven Results

Our War Rooms are helping to deliver measurable improvements, including:

• Expanded deployment of machine vision capabilities such as nine — soon to be 10 — digital train inspection portals, innovative wheel defect detection systems, and tailored algorithms to identify issues before they become problems.
• 36% year-to-date reduction in wayside stops while also inspecting 5% more axles per day.
• 20% reduction in rail car bad orders since launching our car maintenance war room.
• Significant improvement in locomotive reliability as well as an 8% year-over-year improvement in locomotive productivity.

“We’re taking a proactive approach that brings together data, technology, and cross-functional expertise to build a safer and more productive network,” said John Orr, Chief Operating Officer. “Our journey of continuous improvement and relentless root-cause analysis is driving greater consistency, minimizing disruptions, and delivering the service reliability that allows our customers to win in their markets.”