RR-01 RR-01-03-03 — Car Trip Plan Management
This process manages the planning, execution, and monitoring of car trip plans for a US Class I freight railroad, ensuring efficient movement of railcars while adhering to safety regulations and network constraints.
🗺 BPMN Process Flow
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📋 Process Attributes
| Process ID | RR-01-03-03 |
|---|---|
| Domain Family | NETWORK & PLANNING |
| L1 Domain | Service Design & Network Planning |
| L2 Process Group | Car Trip Plan Management |
| Trigger | Initiated by a Service Design / Network Planning Analyst upon receipt of new shipment requests or changes in network conditions. |
| Outcome | Successful completion results in optimized car trip plans that minimize delays, maximize utilization, and comply with all regulatory requirements. |
| Systems | NetControl I-ETMS Unified Plan 2020 CADx EHMS Umler CHARM TRAIN II ISS SSDX CHDX |
| Regulatory Hooks | 49 CFR Part 232 GCOR 6.28 49 CFR Part 217 49 CFR Part 220 49 CFR Part 228 |
📋 L4 Process Steps
| Step | Name | Role | System | Input | Output | KPI | Pain Point / Risk | Decision? | Exception? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Car Trip Plan Development | Service Design / Network Planning Analyst | Unified Plan 2020; NetControl | Shipment requests, network conditions, and available railcar inventory | Initial car trip plan | Plan development time under 4 hours | Inaccurate initial estimates of travel times | N | Y |
| 1.2 | Car Trip Plan Review | VP Network Planning & Operations | Unified Plan 2020; NetControl | Initial car trip plan | Approved or revised car trip plan | Review time under 3 hours | Resource conflicts not identified early | Y | N |
| 1.3 | Car Trip Plan Dispatching | Train Dispatcher | NetControl; CADx | Approved car trip plan | Dispatch orders and train movement instructions | Dispatch time under 1 hour | Communication delays with yardmasters | N | Y |
| 1.4 | Train Departure from Yard | Locomotive Engineer; Conductor | I-ETMS | Dispatch orders and train movement instructions | Train departure confirmation | Departure time within 10 minutes of scheduled time | Engine issues delaying departures | Y | N |
| 1.5 | Train Movement Monitoring | Control Operator; Chief Dispatcher | NetControl; I-ETMS | Train departure confirmation | Real-time train movement data | Movement data accuracy above 95% | Data transmission errors | N | Y |
| 1.6 | Train Arrival at Destination Yard | Locomotive Engineer; Conductor | I-ETMS | Real-time train movement data | Train arrival confirmation | Arrival time within 15 minutes of scheduled time | Track issues causing delays | Y | N |
| 1.7 | Car Inspection and Maintenance | Car Inspector (Carman) | EHMS; Umler | Train arrival confirmation | Inspection report | Inspection time under 2 hours | Inadequate inspection protocols | Y | N |
| 1.8 | Car Hire Accounting | Service Design / Network Planning Analyst | CHARM; TRAIN II | Inspection report | Updated car hire records | Accounting time under 1 hour | Data synchronization issues | N | Y |
| 1.9 | Interline Settlement | VP Network Planning & Operations | ISS; SSDX; CHDX | Updated car hire records | Settlement agreement | Settlement time under 24 hours | Complex settlement negotiations | Y | N |
| 1.10 | Car Trip Plan Optimization | Service Design / Network Planning Analyst | Unified Plan 2020; NetControl | Settlement agreement | Optimized car trip plan for future shipments | Optimization time under 4 hours | Lack of historical data analysis | N | Y |
| 1.11 | Car Maintenance Scheduling | VP Network Planning & Operations | EHMS; Umler | Inspection report | Maintenance schedule | Scheduling time under 2 hours | Resource allocation conflicts | Y | N |
| 1.12 | Post-Trip Review and Reporting | Service Design / Network Planning Analyst | Unified Plan 2020; NetControl | Maintenance schedule | Trip review report | Review time under 3 hours | Incomplete data collection | N | Y |
📊 KPIs & Risk Register
KPIs
Plan development time under 4 hours Review time under 3 hours Dispatch time under 1 hour Departure time within 10 minutes of scheduled time Movement data accuracy above 95% Arrival time within 15 minutes of scheduled time Inspection time under 2 hours Accounting time under 1 hour Settlement time under 24 hours Optimization time under 4 hours Scheduling time under 2 hours
Key Risks
Air brake test defect released to the road Inaccurate initial estimates of travel times Resource conflicts not identified early Engine issues delaying departures Track issues causing delays Data transmission errors Inadequate inspection protocols Data synchronization issues Complex settlement negotiations Lack of historical data analysis Resource allocation conflicts Incomplete data collection
Swim Lanes
Service Design / Network Planning Analyst · 1.1, 1.8, 1.10, 1.12 VP Network Planning & Operations · 1.2, 1.9, 1.11 Train Dispatcher · 1.3 Locomotive Engineer; Conductor · 1.4, 1.6 Control Operator; Chief Dispatcher · 1.5 Car Inspector (Carman) · 1.7 Service Design / Network Planning Analyst · 1.8, 1.10, 1.12