21st century data mining

摘要

In the not-too-distant past, a train crew would have received a message from a wayside detector, and the Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) reader would have updated a database with passing and directional information. Not anymore, as the depth and breadth of data is increasing-and the future holds the promise of even more capabilities and possibilities. Railroads, shippers, repair shops, marine terminal operators and intermodal yard managers are mining more and more data-which they're collecting from trackside and handheld readers, onboard locomotive devices and integrated systems-for an array of purposes."The first AEI reader went on line in 1989 and now, with the addition of GPS and 'smart car' technology, we will have even more event information available to us," says Mike McClendon, AEI systems specialist for BNSF Railway Co.