Patent ID: 8060263

Claim:
A system for forecasting the outbound workload in a switchyard having a switch, said system comprising: a. a data processing entity including a CPU and a machine readable storage encoded with software for execution by the CPU, the data processing entity: i. processing railcar data conveying information on individual railcars yet to be switched by the switch, the railcars having respective destinations outside of the switchyard; ii. computing for the railcars respective approximate times indicating when the railcars are expected to be available for pickup by a departure train; iii. associating the railcars to respective departure trains, the departure trains being characterized by respective estimated departure times (EDTs) and destinations, the associating including: 1. comparing the respective approximate times with the EDTs of the departure trains; 2. selecting for each railcar a departure train on the basis of the comparing and that also has a destination that corresponds with the destination of the railcar; iv. generating for at least one of the departure trains a railcar traffic forecast data identifying one or more of the railcars associated to the at least one departure train; and b. the data processing entity having an output for releasing the forecast data.