Discover our projects: Smart Yard

Anyone familiar with railroading knows that managing a rail yard is a complex task. Coordinating the activities of multiple departments while assembling and clearing trains on-time is key to efficient asset utilization. To make decision-making easier and more effective, CN has developed SmartYard, a new application that provides Operations decision makers with better information.

The goal of the SmartYard project is to enable better asset utilization at CN's major switching yards. With increased efficiencies, more predictability and better communication, Smart Yard lower the dwell time and increase the speed at which cars are processed through the yard. As well, it will allow CN to handle increasing volumes of traffic through the yards without additional capital investment in the physical plant.

SmartYard takes information from different existing CN systems, combines the data, and then provides the best sequence for processing the cars. It continuously adjusts to constantly changing conditions of the yard inventory and CN's network using preset parameters and rates to predict when processes associated with classification and train make-up will start and end. When the start or end time of a process conflicts with or does not support the yard's overall plan, alerts are displayed.

Coupled with users' practical knowledge, SmartYard is assisting our people in yards in making critical decisions by anticipating and react to various situations.