N4 Rail Autostow

N4 Rail Autostow enables terminal operators to automatically route railcars to hub assignments and plan train load sequences based on criteria preconfigured for a specific environment. N4 Rail Autostow creates and saves multiple planning strategies to accommodate a variety of operational challenges.

Before electing to stow using N4 Rail Autostow, operators assign a loading sequence pattern to each railcar and then select one or more of those railcars or their residing tracks to plan, along with the containers to be loaded. A start time to begin the operation is also determined. 

Each time N4 Rail Autostow encounters a container slot to be loaded, it compares this to the list of available containers and selects the best one from the yard based on an predetermined strategy. This automatic planning process continues until all selected railcars are planned or the available containers are stowed. Upon completion operators can review the result and either accept the plan, adjust the strategy set and stow again or make minor manual changes. Once the plan is completed to a satisfactory level, operators can proceed with publishing the loading sequence.

As a result, rail planners experience increased efficiency, loading speed and flexibility with fewer errors.