Advanced Railcar Optimizer (ARO)

A software program used to schedule the movements of railcars (switching) and track railcars inside a rail yard. ARO generates the switch list used by the rail crew execute switching movements. ARO track all railcars in the yard including:

• Railcar position, track and spot
• Loading Status of the railcar
• Product on railcar
• Gauge Tables for each railcar
• Inspection Data

ARO consists of 4 parts:

1.  The main component resides in SAP (ABAP based component).
2.  A graphical component that can be used to give graphical awareness of railcar positions.
3.  Gate RFID reader that is linked back to SAP components.
4.  Handheld devices used to enable the crew to perform various operations, including confirming trips and  loading railcars.