Precision Scheduled Railroading:
Define, Measure, Forecast

There is a lot of talk about Precision Scheduled Railroading, or PSR, in the industry. The term that Hunter Harrison invented to describe his approach to railroad management remains relatively undefined. After all, railroads have been trying to run to schedules since they were founded…Did Harrison run trains more on time than other railroads? What exactly did he do to transform CN, then the CP and lastly CSX from among the worst performing railroads to leaders in efficiency and profitability?

In this presentation, we will examine 10 specific operating levers that comprise PSR, using historical data to illustrate how each lever changed after implementation. From these trendlines, attendees can determine how to forecast expected changes at other railroads as they implement PSR in their own properties.

Presented By

Larry Shughart

Principal/Owner, Shughart Consulting

Mr. Shughart specializes in railway performance management, economic analysis, network operations, engineering, and strategic planning. He has worked on railway projects in over 25 different countries utilizing his skills in operations, economics, engineering, and decision support systems. For eight years, he led the Railway Practice at WorleyParsons, a global engineering and consulting firm known for its successful delivery of mega-projects in the mining, power, and oil sectors. Many of these resource projects include heavy-haul railroad infrastructure and operations. During his tenure at Innovative Scheduling (a dot-com start-up) he developed and applied cutting-edge train scheduling software, terminal simulation models, and other sophisticated decision support tools for the rail industry. Shughart has advised many investors on proposed rail mergers and railroad company proxy fights. After earning his M.S. from MIT, Shughart worked for 14 years at CSX in finance, economics, intermodal, network operations, strategy, service design, operations research, and engineering.