US Rail Strike Implication Studies

 Looking for studies that have been done regarding the current and near future implications regarding the possible US labor rail-strike.  In particular how this could could change costs of the supply chain by industry,  and ultimately costs for consumers.   Any pointers are appreciated and sources will be cited.  

Freight Rail as a Key Supply Chain Component

Brought to my attention.   Am currently working a related project.  By the Association of American Railroads (AAR)   An industry group,  not representing Rail Unions.

Freight Railroads: A 24/7 Link in the U.S. Supply Chain  By the AAR

Youtube Video Overview:  https://youtu.be/OeBtjQ_G99c 

Freight railroads are working with customers to solve the current supply chain disruptions and improve service and reliability. Actions include expanding network capacity, ensuring appropriate staffing levels and collaborating closely with trucking and other logistics partners.

SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS FACT SHEET ... 

SERVICE IMPROVEMENT FACT SHEET ... 

Global Supply Chains are Complex.

Global freight supply chains are complex systems composed of steamship lines; truckers; railroads; ports; drayage providers; owners of truck chassis, shipping containers and warehouses; manufacturers; wholesalers and retailers of goods. All stakeholders must do their part to maintain a consistent flow of freight at every step of the process to avoid bottlenecks and ensure that freight is delivered safely, efficiently and when expected.

Freight Railroads are Managing Disruptions with a Multi-prong Approach to Improve Service.

The interdependent supply chain has been rattled by the impact of a global pandemic on consumer purchasing trends, worker preferences, and rapidly changing global and national economies. Railroads continue to move huge amounts of cargo, despite current supply chain challenges. In the first quarter of 2022, railroads moved more chemicals than in any other quarter in history; the second-most grain for a first quarter since 2011; and the fourth-most intermodal units for a first quarter in history. The rail industry continues to work 24/7 to meet the nation’s freight transportation needs and return service to a level customers deserve and expect. Here are some examples:  ... ' 

Rail Reopens Hump Yards

Followed rail supply chain methods for years for major shipper.   Need more effort here. 

Railroads Reverse Years of Streamlining to Improve Freight Service

Rail yards are starting to rumble with activity again as freight railroads invest in expanding capacity and improving service. The Wall Street Journal reports that Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific have recently reopened several “hump yards,” where trains are broken down and reassembled for their next destinations.

The yards were among operations that had been significantly curtailed in the industry’s years-long push to operate more efficiently by using fewer trains and holding them to tighter schedules.

The cost-cutting shutdowns helped boost profits, but shippers say they have paid the price through service disruptions and delayed shipments. Norfolk Southern says it has improved dwell time for its cars since reactivating a yard in Bellevue, Ohio.

Shippers say they see the railroads’ efforts to improve service, but added that they are still dealing with delays and have to use pricier truck transport more than they would prefer.  .... ' 

Future of Transport

 My long term interest and application, especially rail and truck.    And related to logistics and maintenance management. Good piece.  

Here’s what’s driving the future of transport    from McKinsey

Nearly every element of our lives has a digital signature, and with advancements in artificial intelligence, it’s now easier than ever for players in travel, logistics, and infrastructure to use this information to unlock value. From ensuring the safety and reliability of railway tracks, signals, and bridges to tracking inventory, shipments, and demand in warehouses, data is the key to better decisions.  .... '

Japanese VR Piloted Robotics for Rail Productivity Management

Having had some amount of experience in the use and maintenance of rail-based equipment, can understand the usefulness and safety issues  involved here.

ACM TECHNEWS

Japanese Rail Company Rolls Out VR-Piloted Gundam Robot Worker  By New Atlas, April 29, 2022

The West Japan Rail Company, working with advanced robotics firm Human Machinery Co. and transportation infrastructure solutions provider Nippon Signal Co., has deployed a humanoid heavy equipment maintenance robot that is directed through virtual reality (VR).

The company said the robot is designed "to improve productivity and safety" by allowing workers to elevate and manipulate equipment around the rail system without risking electrocution or falls.  The robot's torso is mounted to a hydraulic crane arm, which rides around the system on a rail car, and drops stabilizing legs when in operation.

The operator wears motion-tracked VR goggles to control the movements of the unit’s head with stereo vision, and grips handles that direct the motions of the robot's arms and hands.

From New Atlas

View Full Article  

Ulriken Rail Tunnel

An aside interest of mine,  rail supply chains.  Points to the first tunnel boring machine used in Norway for the Ulriken Tunnel

Ulriken Tunnel –The first TBM Drive for a Railway Tunnel in Norway. 

Also, a 3D Model:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCRFtW1ok2E

See also a new cab ride view of the tunnel.  And of course there is a Tunnel magazine online for general news about efforts underway.  Related interests?  contact me.

Predicting Railway Delays

 Interesting application.  Consider data availability, accuracy and variability of prediction.

Predicting British railway delays using artificial intelligence  by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Over the past 20 years, the number of passengers traveling on British train networks has almost doubled to 1.7 billion annually. With numbers like that it's clear how much people rely on rail service in Great Britain, and how many disgruntled patrons there would be when delays occur. A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign used real British Railway data and an artificial intelligence model to improve the ability to predict delays in railway networks.

"We wanted to explore this problem using our experience with graph neural networks," said Huy Tran, an aerospace engineering faculty member at UIUC. "These are a specific class of artificial intelligence models that focus on data modeled as a graph, where a set of nodes are connected by edges."  ... " 

Autonomous Cars and Railroad Crossings

Much of my extended family has worked for the railroads in the US and Europe.    So the form of transport has always interested me.  How do autonomous vehicles interact with railroads?   Lance Eliot discusses.  bottom line, its a particular problem.  Worth understanding the challenge.  Below the intro, more details about the problem at the link ...

How Railroad Crossings Can Perilously Stump AI Autonomous Cars
By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider

According to compiled statistics, every 90 minutes in the United States a vehicle and a train collide.

That’s a staggering and somber statistic. Train-vehicle crashes are a lot more common than most people assume they are.  Plus, sadly, injuries and deaths are the likely result of cars and trains opting to ram into each other. There are about 500 deaths each year in the United States due to failures to safety navigate a railroad crossing, amounting to about 20,000 deaths over the last forty years.

Remember this sage advice that was drummed into our heads when first learning to drive: Stop, look, and listen.

Meanwhile, here’s perhaps another surprise for you, namely that railroad crossings are much more prevalent than you might believe. In the United States, there are approximately 128,000 public railroad crossings. Throughout the U.S. there are over 180,000 miles of railroad track.

Overall, railroads are still a significant part of the transportation fabric of our country.

I realize that some of you might be eager to point out that all a driver needs to do is obey a railroad crossing gate. If the gate is down, don’t go around it, and just wait for the train to pass. That seems to take care of having to be concerned about railroad crossings.

Case closed?   Not so...... "

Rail Supply Chain Opportunity

Recalls an examination of opportunity we saw.

North American Rail Is Missing a Growth Opportunity in Supplychainbrain

Robert Sabath, SCB Contributor, Steven Fox, SCB Contributor, and Ben Connelly, SCB Contributor

Many blame precision scheduled railroading (PSR) for accelerating volume decline. Instead, it could be the foundation for renewed rail-carload growth.

Implementation of PSR by CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific railroads in recent years has stirred interest among customers and shareholders alike, although for very different reasons. PSR has lowered operating costs and significantly increased profitability. In doing so, it has also enhanced the rail cost advantage compared to trucking.    ... " 

Autonomous Freight Rail in Australia is Operational

Interesting application for 'largest robot', it seems to decrease use of human engineers for some networks.

Mining company says first autonomous freight train network is fully operational
The system reduces the number of times a train has to stop for engineer shift changes.
By Megan Geuss in Astechnica

On Friday, major mining corporation Rio Tinto reported that its AutoHaul autonomous train system in Western Australia had logged more than 1 million km (620,000 mi) since July 2018, S&P Global Platts reported. Rio Tinto calls it's now-fully-operational autonomous train system the biggest robot in the world.

The train system serves 14 mines that deliver to four port terminals. Two mines that are closest to a port terminal will retain human engineers because they are very short lines, according to Perth Now. ... "