A system of passive RFID tags mounted on every railcar and locomotive and read by wayside readers at strategic locations throughout the network, automatically recording the car number, direction, and time of passage. AEI data is the backbone of real-time car location and train tracking for both operational and customer visibility purposes. The system was mandated by the FRA and deployed network-wide in the 1990s.
The process of locating a specific railcar by querying the railroad's information system or the industry-wide Railinc car location network. Car traces provide current location, status, and estimated arrival information. Shippers use car traces to plan unloading schedules and manage inventory.
The AAR-affiliated technology company that provides information technology services and data standards for the North American rail industry, including the UMLER equipment registry, the Centralized Station Master location database, Jettison EDI translation, and the car location network. Railinc is the central data utility connecting railroads, shippers, and service providers. It maintains the authoritative registry of rail equipment and industry codes.
The use of Global Positioning System receivers installed on locomotives or railcars to provide continuous real-time location data independent of wayside AEI readers. GPS tracking is standard on locomotives and is increasingly deployed on railcars and intermodal containers for enhanced visibility. It provides location data in areas between AEI readers and within yards.
The network of trackside sensing systems that monitor trains as they pass, including hot box detectors, dragging equipment detectors, wheel impact load detectors, and machine vision systems. Data from wayside detectors is transmitted in real time to dispatching centers and maintenance systems. Wayside detection is a foundational layer of railroad safety and car health monitoring.
The computer-to-computer exchange of standardized business documents between railroads, shippers, and logistics providers using ANSI X12 transaction sets. Common rail EDI transactions include the 404 (rail shipment), 410 (freight invoice), 417 (rate inquiry), and 418 (rate reply). EDI is the foundational data exchange standard for the North American rail industry.