CSX Transportation

CSX Transportation was Innovative Scheduling’s first railroad customer. We have been working together since the year 2000. The largest railroad in the Eastern U.S., CSX has an impressive web of lines and terminals. Their network structure is advantageous in that it provides access to a wide range of commodities and geographic markets. CSX can combine track segments to offer many routing alternatives across its system. Innovative Scheduling assists CSX in the problems ranging from real-time management of the network to long-term strategic analysis of its routes, locomotive fleet, and management policies.

Deploying the Generation I Locomotive Planning Model at CSX Transportation

This project entailed developing a sophisticated software solution for determining the locomotive plan for a given train schedule. We developed a highly sophisticated methodology and software to solve this very large-scale and highly constrained problem using linear, integer and heuristic programming techniques, that demonstrated annual savings of tens of million of dollars. Outputs from this software were included in filings with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) regulatory proceedings. Learn more …

Assisting CSX in developing the ONE PLAN Service Design

CSX Transportation assisted Innovative Scheduling to develop an algorithmic approach to solve the railroad blocking problem, an optimization problem that had defied solution until that time. We developed an innovative very large-scale neighborhood (VLSN) search algorithm that solved the blocking problem. We also worked with Multimodal Applied Systems to develop a new operating plan for CSX, called the ONE Plan, that was also put into production. According to Florida Times Union article from November 2006, CSX, "... attributes much of its improvement to its ONE Plan, a computer model-generated system for routing and scheduling intended to minimize mileage and terminal handling. When the railroad’s on-time departure and arrival percentages were low last year, company executives said its new ONE Plan would instill order within the network. "As the ONE Plan has been completely rolled out and gained traction, it has provided a boost in CSX’s service," spokesman Gary Sease said...."

Using the IRBO ensured that CSX’s new plan did not exceed terminal capacities, dramatically improved service to their shippers and unlocked latent capacity that enabled CSX to absorb additional traffic growth without jeopardizing network fluidity. Use of our blocking plan reduced the system-wide intermediate handling of cars by over 5% resulting in significant cost savings for CSX.

Optimizing Network Configuration at CSX Transportation

CSX Transportation engaged Innovative Scheduling to optimize its network configuration. We developed the Network Configuration Optimizer software to conduct this analysis scientifically. This software recommends the optimal yard locations and the locations where yard capacity needs to be added to reduce transportation costs. This software produced several useful recommendations for CSX senior executives.

Working with CSX to Develop the Next-Generation Innovative Locomotive Planning Optimizer

Building on our initial success with locomotive modeling, CSX engaged us to develop a new locomotive model that emphasized consist planning, enabled users to create planned imbalances at certain terminals, and improved the day-to-day consistency of the resulting locomotive plans. In addition, CSX business partners wanted to be able to run the model incrementally such that only a few, key changes were made to the existing plan that would leverage the most benefits. The incremental approach enables CSX to easily implement new locomotive plans without having to completely transition the entire network from an old plan to a new plan.