RR-03 RR-03-05-01 — Air Brake Tests & Departure Inspection

The Air Brake Tests & Departure Inspection process ensures that all freight cars in the terminal are inspected for air brake compliance and safety before departure. This process involves multiple steps including visual inspection, testing, documentation, and clearance.

🗺 BPMN Process Flow

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📋 Process Attributes

Process ID	RR-03-05-01
Domain Family	OPERATIONS
L1 Domain	Terminal & Yard Operations
L2 Process Group	Air Brake Tests & Departure Inspection
Trigger	Train arrival at the Bailey Yard (North Platte, NE) with a manifest of freight cars requiring air brake tests.
Outcome	All freight cars pass the air brake test and receive necessary clearances for departure, ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
Systems	NetControl I-ETMS Umler PS Technology EHMS
Regulatory Hooks	49 CFR Part 232 GCOR

📋 L4 Process Steps

Step	Name	Role	System	Input	Output	KPI	Pain Point / Risk	Decision?	Exception?
1.1	Train Arrival Notification	Yardmaster	NetControl	Train arrival manifest	Arrival notification to the Yardmaster's console	Time from train arrival to first car inspection < 10 minutes	Delayed train arrivals affecting yard operations	N	Y
1.2	Car Inspection Preparation	Car Inspector (Carman)	Umler	Train arrival manifest and Umler database	Inspection checklist for each car	100% accurate inspection checklists generated within 5 minutes	Missing or inaccurate manifests	N	Y
1.3	Visual Inspection of Cars	Car Inspector (Carman)	Machine Vision portals	Inspection checklist and car images	Visual inspection report	95% accuracy in visual inspections within 2 minutes per car	Defective brakes not immediately visible	N	Y
1.4	Air Brake Test Execution	Car Inspector (Carman)	Wabtrax	Visual inspection report and Wabtrax test equipment	Air brake test results	100% successful air brake tests within 5 minutes per car	Defective brakes causing failed tests	Y	Y
1.5	Review of Air Brake Test Results	Car Inspector (Carman)	Umler	Air brake test results and Umler database	Test result summary	90% accuracy in test result review within 3 minutes	Incorrect interpretation of test data	Y	Y
1.6	Defective Brake Repair Notification	Car Inspector (Carman)	PS Technology	Test result summary and PS Technology system	Repair notification to the Maintenance Department	100% repair notifications within 2 minutes of identifying defects	Delayed repairs affecting train schedules	N	Y
1.7	Clearance for Departure	Yardmaster	NetControl	Test result summary and clearance request	Departure clearance order	95% clearance orders issued within 1 minute of receiving results	Incorrect or delayed clearances	N	Y
1.8	Train Departure Preparation	Switchman/Switch Foreman	Hump yard (generic classification technology)	Departure clearance order and train schedule	Prepared departure track with all cars secured	100% prepared tracks within 5 minutes of receiving clearance	Track preparation delays due to equipment issues	N	Y
1.9	Train Departure Notification	Yardmaster	NetControl	Prepared departure track and train schedule	Departure notification to the Harriman Dispatching Center (HDC)	90% timely notifications within 2 minutes of departure	Delayed notifications affecting dispatch coordination	N	Y
1.10	Post-Departure Review	Car Inspector (Carman)	Umler	Departure notification and Umler database	Post-departure review report	100% accurate post-departure reviews within 3 minutes of departure	Inaccurate or incomplete reviews	Y	Y
1.11	Update Maintenance Records	Car Inspector (Carman)	EHMS	Post-departure review report and EHMS system	Updated maintenance records for each car	95% updated records within 1 minute of completing reviews	Delayed record updates affecting future inspections	N	Y
1.12	Final Departure Confirmation	Yardmaster	NetControl	Updated maintenance records and NetControl system	Final departure confirmation to the HDC	90% final confirmations within 2 minutes of updating records	Delayed confirmations affecting overall yard operations	N	Y

📊 KPIs & Risk Register

KPIs

Terminal dwell under 24 hours Train speed above 20 mph 95% accuracy in visual inspections within 2 minutes per car 100% successful air brake tests within 5 minutes per car 90% clearance orders issued within 1 minute of receiving results 100% prepared tracks within 5 minutes of receiving clearance

Key Risks

Air brake test defect released to the road Defective brakes causing failed tests Incorrect interpretation of test data Delayed repairs affecting train schedules Track preparation delays due to equipment issues Delayed notifications affecting dispatch coordination Inaccurate or incomplete reviews Delayed record updates affecting future inspections

Swim Lanes

Yardmaster · 1.1, 1.7, 1.9, 1.12 Car Inspector (Carman) · 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.10, 1.11 Switchman/Switch Foreman · 1.8

Independently compiled from public sources. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Union Pacific or any other railroad. Illustrative of US Class I practice; every system, regulation, role and metric named here traces to a sourced entry in registries/.