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Kansas City Southern de México S.A. de C.V. (KCSM) recently began using a new electronic train capacity tool on its Matamoros-to-Monterrey, San Luis Potosí-to-Tampico, Veracruz-to-Valle de México and Lázaro Cárdenas-to-Morelia routes.

The railroad’s operations group, with an assist from the information technology department, added the tool to KCSM’s Management Control System (MCS) computer platform. MCS automatically analyzes train capacity and programs which cars should be added to a train based on scheduled switching.

After a customer releases a car, MCS generates a trip plan for an entire route from a shipper’s facility to a KCSM yard, where the train is assembled. Once a train reaches capacity, cars are automatically re-tripped to the next train.

Designed to improve train schedule accuracy and efficiency, the tool also programs trains that come out of a terminal with those added or released from other terminals to create a more complete trip plan.