Yard switch heater and remote control - Amtrak Chicago

Chicago’s Union Station was struggling to manage its busy traffic volumes. The probem was that its technology had become dated over time - so that’s where we stepped in.

Tracsis provided a comprehensive solution to remotely control over 200 assets. This included switches, derails, blue flags, and heaters - all operable from multiple locations.

To improve yard fluidity, Tracsis radically modified Amtrak’s DOC® control platform. Furthermore, we designed and commissioned a field system to eradicate clearance and other track layout challenges. Importantly, our solution was tailor-made to suit the unique needs of this facility.

System breakdown and benefits

The DOC System is a commercially available and off‐the‐shelf control system. It’s been specifically engineered to provide railroads with the flexibility to remotely control their yard assets. This integrated approach to yard automation allows them to remotely control:

• Power switches

• Derails

• Blue flag operations

• Manual switch point indicators

• Switch heaters

• Alarms

• Gates and doors

Tracsis’ solution now manages all traffic routing in and out of the facility, along with Blue Flag Protection for car and train inspection. Additionally, remote heater control is managed from a centralized location too. This means groups of heaters can be controlled at any time, without personnel having to travel to each location.