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Consider it a sign o’ the times. BNSF Railway Co. has released four new mobile applications designed to enable shippers to manage their cargo via smart phones.

The Unit Trace, Switch and Release, Coal Train Tracing and Display Lot Location applications are available on a new BNSF mobile website and can be accessed by any Blackberry, iPhone, Droid or Windows 7 phone.

Shippers can use the Unit Trace and Switch and Release applications to manage their shipments remotely by alerting BNSF when they unload a rail car and are ready for the railroad to pick up the empty car; coal customers can use the Coal Train Tracing application to track entire trains by a specific mine or utility location; and drivers can use the Display Lot Location application to plan their routes and obtain location information for a trailer or container.
 
“Technology plays a key role in how we run the railroad,” said Jo-ann Olsovsky, BNSF’s vice president of technology services and chief information officer, in a prepared statement. “We recognize the importance of mobility supporting our customers’ ability to manage their logistics remotely.”