Rail OCR Portal System Services to Improve Operational Efficiency

The importance of Intermodal Train OCR operations within the global supply chain has never been more apparent. Leveraging the tracking technology solutions implemented by most North American Class 1 railroads, shipping companies like UPS and FedEx have recently begun to utilize intermodal transport options (versus truck or air options) in an effort to lower the costs to their customer. This is creating a spike in traffic for the railroads and the marine container terminals across the country. Our company is helping to handle this recent growth using proven OCR Railway Automation Systems to improve productivity and keep operating costs low.

As the number of containers shipped by rail continues to increase, so does a need for rail ocr automated inspection, identification and inventory of rail containers. Suraj Informatics Rail OCR Portal provides a solution for remote vision inspection and automatic identification of containers and railcars. It comes with a Gate Operator Train OCR app for further processing and processing of exceptions.

OCR Railway Portal of SIPL takes the next step in providing vastly enhanced tracking and identification of containerized cargo that moves via the rail. The system is flexible enough to provide identification and tracking of rail equipment and containers for the following operational scenarios:

  • Marine container terminals (with on-dock rail tracks)
  • Traditional intermodal ramps
  • Multi-tenant interchange yards
  • Along high-speed mainline tracks

Using trackside AEI readers, high-resolution CCTV cameras and other Train OCR software, this identifies, tracks and archives the image and equipment number information of a passing train. All these data is collected and combine to produce fully automated container to railcar association and eliminate the need to manually perform train inventories or Track Standing Orders (TSO). In addition, Rail OCR Software can capture damage inspection images to enable verification of equipment condition and damage during arrival and departure.

With advanced camera and sophisticated software, Train OCR doors enable remote visual inspection of information about incoming containers and railcars, speeding up the train’s verification process.

The OCR Railway Portal, equipped with SIPL’s advanced cameras and motors, is expanding with new sensors. As trains pass, it captures high-quality images from all sides and automatically records container details, including ISO codes, chassis, railcar numbers, IMDG codes, seals, and door direction.

The Suraj Informatics Rail OCR Portal supports moving, stopped, and shunting trains without delays and is compatible with double-stack containers and dual tracks.

The next phase will add coding diagram recognition and dangerous goods detection. A Train OCR Gate at the terminal check-in will enable faster truck registration and streamlined entry/exit procedures.

  • How does it Work?
  • The Railway OCR dedicated software processes every train passage automatically.
  • Saved images allow operators to review and correct any operational or input errors.
  • Once validated, the OCR software transmits all data to the central system, ensuring a fast, accurate, and secure rail handling process.
  • A preloaded list of trains and containers from the departure terminal is compared with the data captured by OCR cameras.
  • This enables the system to match each container to a specific train number and determine its exact position on the railcar.
  • Before sending data to the Terminal Operating System (TOS), operators use the Train Gate Operator App for: 1) Visual inspection of containers and railcars. 2) Checking, correcting, and validating OCR-processed data.
  • Once verified, the data is transferred to the TOS within minutes.
  • The validation process can be performed locally or remotely by authorized operators.
  • All high-resolution images (left, right, and top views) are stored for reference and can serve as evidence in case of damage claims or disputes.