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Kansas City Southern is about a month away from launching its long-planned Management Control System (MCS), an operating platform designed to knit together shipment schedules through interchange using customers' own data.
KCS officials believe the more versatile computer system will enable the railroad to operate a more disciplined, on-time network.
The Class I recently trained 247 conductors, 38 managers and 59 clerks on MCS, and the railroad plans to continue training employees until the system is fully deployed in mid-July.
"It is absolutely essential that those who have been trained now execute the new processes and use the new tools to ensure that MCS will help KCS become more efficient," said Steve Hefley, KCS chief transportation officer, network services, and lead MCS developer, in a prepared statement.
The Class I also held town hall meetings June 7 and 10 in Heavener, Okla., Shreveport, La., Wylie, Texas, East St. Louis, Ill., and Jackson and Vicksburg, Miss., where a key discussion topic was MCS' summer launch.
KCS initially planned to implement MCS in second-quarter 2001, but as part of a March 2001 cost-cutting plan, the Class I temporarily shelved the system.