MULTIRAIL PLANNING SUITEBased on decades of delivering service-design software and support to the world’s leading railways, Oliver Wyman presents the MultiRail Planning Suite, which includes 16 modules that provide the specialized and integrated tools needed to plan and operate a complex railroad.

Surface Transportation

cONTENTS

MULTIRAIL AND ScHEDULED RAILWAY OPERATIONS 2

EVOLUTION OF THE MULTIRAIL RAIL PLANNING SUITE 3

MULTIRAIL RAIL PLANNING SUITE 4

INTEGRATED cOLLABORATIVE RAIL DATABASE 5

MultiRail collaborative Planning Data Repository

RAW DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS 5

MultiRail Network Designer

MultiRail Traffic Management Suite – Traffic Editor and

Forecast Managers

OPERATIONAL PLANNING AND ANALYSIS 5

MultiRail Blocking Plan Designer

MultiRail Advanced Traffic Router

MultiRail Train Plan Designer and Bulk Train Planner

MultiRail Trip Planner

MultiRail Advanced Network Simulator

OPTIMIZATION TOOLS 6

MultiRail Block Optimizer

MultiRail Locomotive Planner and Optimizer

MultiRail Assigned crew Schedule Optimizer

OUTPUT MANAGEMENT AND EXPORT TO EXTERNAL SYSTEMS 7

MultiRail Operating Plan Explorer

MultiRail Data Exchange

MultiRail operating Plan Report Manager

MultiRail Traffic Flow Analyzer (TFA)

MultiRail corridor Viewer – Timetables and Stringlines

RAIL PLANNING SYSTEMS cOMPARISON TABLE 8

MultiRail Planning Suite 1

MULTIRAIL AND ScHEDULED RAILWAY OPERATIONS

Oliver Wyman and the MultiRail Planning platform have been

instrumental in making global freight railroads more profitable. MultiRail

tools help railroads rethink how they plan and operate. The concept of

the zero-based operating plan was created by Oliver Wyman specialists

to change the philosophy of service design and to build a rail operating

plan “from the ground up” by basing the plan on customer demand.

This approach leads to scheduled or precision railroading, in which a

fundamental premise is that by operating to the plan, the railroad will

maximize asset utilization, network fluidity and capacity, and customer

service, all of which will ultimately reduce costs.

By combining new technologies with a zero-based approach to

reconsider their operating plans, railroads have found that networks they

once believed were at capacity can be stretched to increase throughput

without expensive capital improvements. Railroad scheduling tools

keep crews, cars, and locomotives in balance and moving faster,

helping reduce delays, downtime, congestion, and total equipment

requirements. On the marketing side, scheduling tools can help railroads

model the feasibility and cost to serve potential customers, as well as

assess new product offerings.

Armed with this more powerful planning philosophy, improved

processes and software, many global freight railways have already raised

their expectations on operational efficiency and profitability. Oliver

Wyman believes that all freight railroads need to examine their way of

doing business and consider the steps needed to take their operations to

the next level.

MultiRail has long been known as the leading integrated software package for rail operational planning. The MultiRail platform was the first widely available system that allowed railroads to build their operating plans based on infrastructure and demand, and not simply by editing old train schedules. For the past two decades, MultiRail has given service design specialists an extensive set of tools for managing networks, importing and managing traffic data, designing blocks, flowing the traffic over the blocks, and building trains that support the traffic and blocks that are actually seen on the railroad.

...OLIVER WYMAN AND THE MULTIRAIL

RAIL PLANNING PLATFORM HAVE

BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING GLOBAL

FREIGHT RAILROADS MORE PROFITABLE...

2 MultiRail Planning Suite

THE EVOLUTION OF THE MULTIRAIL RAIL PLANNING SUITE

Over time, the MultiRail tools have been renewed and expanded to

accommodate new interfaces and architecture, and to increase the

system’s scope to cover a wider range of rail planning activities. Our

ultimate goals are to make the software simpler and more intuitive to

use, widen the applicability of the tools to support a wider array of users,

and to strengthen its optimization and analysis capabilities so as to

provide more value to our clients.

As a part of this evolution, Oliver Wyman has worked with many of the

world’s major railways to align MultiRail’s traffic, block, train and other

data with the unique characteristics of a railway’s network, and establish

linkages between the railway’s internal systems and the MultiRail

planning platform. This interaction among data and systems provides

a foundation for a proven integrated service design solution. When

this foundation is in place, and only when it is in place, can additional

functions and tool-sets be added to the railroad’s planning process.

In this way, MultiRail lays the foundation for a variety of planning and

analysis tools produced by Oliver Wyman and others.

Taking advantage of the integrated MultiRail platform, Oliver Wyman

is pleased to unveil a full suite of rail planning modules that provide

a wide array of functionality, each focusing on a specific aspect of rail

planning and operations. The MultiRail Planning Suite currently contains

16 separate modules that are based on our experience and deep

understanding of railroading, and anchored in the reality of a railway’s

unique operating characteristics. This is not a static or fixed list of modules

– Oliver Wyman is constantly adding to our list of modules, and evolving

their capabilities. These modules can stand alone, or be integrated

with each other, as the modules share common organization reference

files, data definitions, railroad mainframe support data (waybills, car

movement, blocks and trains) and a central Oracle data schema.

...OLIVER WYMAN IS PLEASED TO UNVEIL A FULL SUITE OF RAIL PLANNING MODULES

THAT PROVIDE A WIDE ARRAY OF

FUNcTIONALITY...

MultiRail Planning Suite 3

Rail Carrier Systems

and Databases

MultiRail Blocking Plan Designer

MultiRail Train Plan Designer &

Bulk Train Planner

MultiRail Trip Planner & Advanced Network

Simulator

operational Planning and analysis

MultiRailBlock Optimizer

MultiRailLocomotive

Planner & Optimizer

MultiRailAssigned crew

Schedule Optimizer

MultiRail TrainSchedule Optimizer

(in 2012)

optimization tools

MultiRailoperating Plan

explorer

MultiRailData

exchange

MultiRailoperating Plan

Report Manager

output Management and export to external systems

MultiRail corridor

Viewer - timetables & stringlines

MultiRail integrated collaborative Rail Planning Data Repository

network

trains Resources

shipment Routes trip Plans

output/KPis & Workloads

MultiRail Network

Designer

Raw Data Management and analysis

THE MULTIRAIL RAIL PLANNING SUITE

4 MultiRail Planning Suite

INTEGRATED cOLLABORATIVE RAIL DATABASE

MultiRail Collaborative Planning Data Repository – This repository,

at the core of the MultiRail Planning Suite, provides transparency to all

aspects of the MultiRail data, providing a direct path for the movement

of data from and to external systems, including the railway’s mainframe

operating and planning systems. This integrated database is unique in

the rail industry.

RAW DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS

MultiRail Network Designer – This module provides a variety of tools

intended for the graphical entry and manipulation of a railroad network,

including yards (stations) and railroad lines, along with geographical

and performance attributes.

MultiRail Traffic Management Suite: Traffic Editor and Forecast

Managers – These modules provide tools designed to manage

historical traffic data and generate forecast data. The forecasted traffic

is a detailed, origin-destination level traffic file, including empty car

movements (if needed) for use in MultiRail. Also included is a rules-

based Traffic Adjustment Tool that applies user-specified rules to a traffic

database. The Traffic Editor provides an interface to view, filter,

manipulate, and query the traffic being used in an analysis.

OPERATIONAL PLANNING AND ANALYSIS

MultiRail Blocking Plan Designer – This module is used to create

and modify the blocking “rules” or definitions that direct classification

assignments. For example, block data includes origin, destination,

and block type data for each block, along with the types of traffic

generally carried by the block. It may include additional attributes,

such as interchange data, final destinations, or customer and

commodity designations.

MultiRail Advanced Traffic Router – This module determines the

routing of individual cars through the application of yard-based

“blocking” or “marshalling” rules. These rules support routing decisions

based on a variety of criteria including the shipment type, shipment

destination, load/empty status, service priority, and other attributes that

may be designated by the railway.

NETWORK DESIGNER EXAMPLE SHOWING THREE REGIONAL YARDS

NETWORK DISPLAY OF TRAFFIc USING THREE BLOcK MOVES

MultiRail Planning Suite 5

MultiRail Train Plan Designer and Bulk Train Planner – Provides

tools to create and modify train schedules, blocks to be carried and train

connection standards. This module also supports local train service

design and bulk train planning. For example, the bulk train planning tool

automatically generates potential departure times when trains are full.

MultiRail Trip Planner – The Trip Planner simulates the movement

of traffic through the overall operating plan. Starting with a traffic

movement’s release day & time, and based on its blocking sequence, the

Trip Planner simulates the selection of trains used to move the traffic.

MultiRail Advanced Network Simulator – This module supports

capacitated and uncapacitated analysis as well as bulk train modeling.

The module’s results show day-of-week volumes that provide a more

accurate analysis of the overall operating plan by highlighting high and

low demands across the system at the yard-block level, train level, and

yard level.

OPTIMIZATION TOOLS

MultiRail Block Optimizer – This optimizer improves a current

blocking plan or creates a new plan from scratch. Preconceived block

destinations are dropped in favor of an optimized solution that considers

all parameters as used by an algorithm that determines the “best”

answer. The resulting blocking plan, often called a “zero based” blocking

plan, can easily be used in further planning process steps.

MultiRail Locomotive Planner and Optimizer – This module

optimizes the planned assignments of locomotives to trains throughout

the railway system. The optimization improves locomotive utilization

rates and determines a feasible and low cost repositioning plan.

MultiRail Assigned Crew Schedule Optimizer – This module

combines user-defined “hard” and “soft” rules to produce an optimized

set of crew job schedules for assigned crews, as employed in passenger

railways or in European freight rail operations. This optimized schedule

can then be used by the railroad to prepare the final rosters for the

engineers, conductors and assistant conductors for scheduled

train services.

MULTIRAIL TRAIN PLAN DESIGNER AND BULK TRAIN PLANNER

MULTIRAIL LOcOMOTIVE OPTIMIZER

6 MultiRail Planning Suite

OUTPUT MANAGEMENT AND EXPORT TO EXTERNAL SYSTEMS

MultiRail Operating Plan Explorer – Using a web browser interface,

this module supports free-form exploration of an operating plan through

the use of hyper-links, filters, sorts, and searches to provide planners

and managers with an easy method for reviewing and evaluating the

effectiveness of an operating plan. The system also supports both

text and map based views of the operating plan, with easy navigation

between the two views.

MultiRail Data Exchange – On a customized basis, MultiRail can be

integrated with other client systems. This includes connections to real

time execution systems, and linkages to various planning processes and

systems for resources, such as locomotive and crews/drivers, costing

systems, and track authorities. While the data interfaces are tailored

to each client, a base set of code components and implementation

strategies are used to meet the integration requirements.

MultiRail Operating Plan Report Manager – This module supports

a wide variety of reports, allowing the user great flexibility in terms of

filtering report contents and creating customized reports.

• Yard-Block Level Reports

• Train Reports

• Simulation/Trip Plan Reports

• comparison & Project Reports

• Statistical and KPI Reports

MultiRail Traffic Flow Analyzer (TFA) – The TFA is designed to analyze

the operations and services of railroads by providing a structured,

multi-year database of train movements and railcar movements, along

with an array of mapping and reporting features for analyzing traffic

patterns and workloads, and changes in traffic patterns and workloads

for freight railroads.

MultiRail Corridor Viewer – Timetables and Stringlines – The

corridor Viewer contains a sophisticated environment for the interactive

development of train corridors, publishable timetables, and a stringline

analyses. MultiRail has the ability to generate timetables for one or more

line segments for any period of time. With loaded track information, the

corridor viewer can be used to check for train conflicts.

OPERATING PLAN EXPLORER – BROWSER BASED DISPLAY OF

TRAIN DETAIL

TRAFFIc FLOW ANALYZER – LINK VOLUME

MultiRail Planning Suite 7

RAIL PLANNING SYSTEMS cOMPARISON TABLE

The table below shows the rail planning function and processes supported by the MultiRail Rail Planning Suite,

compared with other sets of software tools available in the market today:

Rail Planning Function oR PRocessMultiRail Rail Planning suite

otHeR oPeRational Planning suite VenDoRs

Real-tiMe oPeRational suPPoRt anD YaRD sYsteMs

netWoRK caPacitY PlanneRs anD PatH analYZeRs

collaborative Planning Data Repository

Graphic Network Designer

Traffic and Forecast Manager

Blocking Plan Design

Algorithmic Traffic Router

Table-Based Traffic Router

Train Plan Designer

Bulk Train Planner

Train Optimizer Available in 2012

Trip Planner

Advanced Network Simulator

Block Optimizer

Locomotive Planner

Assigned crew Schedule Optimizer

Passenger Train Set Optimizer

Web-based Operations Plan Explorer

Operating Plan Exporter

Reports Manager

Traffic Flow Analyzer

Interactive corridor and Timetable Viewer

Integration with Rail carrier Systems

Legend: = Full Support = Half Support = No Support

8 MultiRail Planning Suite

With offices in 50+ cities across 25 countries, Oliver Wyman is a leading global management consulting firm that combines deep industry knowledge with specialised expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, organizational transformation and leadership development. The firm’s 3,000 professionals help clients optimize their businesses, improve their operations and risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities. Oliver Wyman is part of Marsh & McLennan companies [NYSE: MMc]. For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com.

Oliver Wyman regularly customizes and enhances our software to meet specific client requirements and finds this to be an effective way of growing the product and ensuring that it meets all of our clients’ needs. Our staff has extensive knowledge in relational database design and implementation as applied to transportation problems. Oliver Wyman combines custom development with commercial software components to provide powerful transportation software in minimal time and with maximum flexibility to adapt to the latest customer requirements.

For more information, please contact our practice heads directly:

carl Van Dyke, Princetoncarl.vandyke@oliverwyman.com

Joris D’Incà, Zurichjoris.dinca@oliverwyman.com

Gilles Roucolle, Parisgilles.roucolle@oliverwyman.com

http://blog.railplanning.com

copyright © 2012 Oliver Wyman. All rights reserved. This report may not be reproduced or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the written permission of Oliver Wyman and Oliver Wyman accepts no liability whatsoever for the actions of third parties in this respect.

The information and opinions in this report were prepared by Oliver Wyman. This report may not be sold without the written consent of Oliver Wyman.