North America - Railinc on 21 Feb 2023 reported that the process for updating rail car data has been "optimized" in the Umler system to allow for "more efficient interline service."
 
Umler is the "source of critical data for more than 2 million pieces of North American rail, steamship, and highway equipment" that railroads, equipment owners, agents, shippers, ports, suppliers, industry consultants, government agencies, and rail car service providers use "for the safe and efficient placement, movement, and interchange of rail cars," according to Railinc.
 
The Umler system not only "provides secure access for equipment management and reporting tools, helping equipment owners provide high-quality data to logistics partners and customers," but also "identifies internal and external dimensions, capacities, weight information, and other specific characteristics of freight cars as well as intermodal trailers and containers."
 
According to Railinc Product Manager Clayton Miller, "Those users who have been managing this massive database through periodic receipt of equipment update messages can now, instead, have access to continuously updated rail car data."
 
Following two years of development, the integrated cloud-to-cloud data sharing system was launched last year and is ready for implementation by rail car owners, lessors, and railroads, Railinc reported.
 
This is of "particular value during the daily interchange of hundreds of thousands of rail freight cars," according to the Cary, N.C.-based company.
 
"Critical safety information and updates to the characteristics of cars, including inspection dates and equipment modifications, are required before cars can be accepted by one railroad for movement by a connecting carrier."
 
Railinc noted that the system provides another option for managing this data and is not mandatory.
 
"Our team listened to their industry peers and went to work to create a new resource for the rail industry to keep rail shipments moving safely and efficiently," Railinc President Allen West said.
 
"I am proud of their accomplishment."
 
Author unknown.