Norfolk Southern is constantly innovating to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of rail shipping. That means uncovering new ways for customers to get real-time insights on their shipments. A key part of this is our investment in RailPulse, a technology platform setting industry-wide best practices for railcar telematics by leveraging GPS and sensor technology.

RailPulse provides real-time visibility into railcar location, condition, and health, giving our customers the power to make faster, more informed decisions.

Who can benefit from RailPulse?

• Railcar Owners: If you own or lease railcars, you can subscribe to RailPulse and equip your railcars with GPS and telematics devices for real-time tracking. This gives you full access to the RailPulse platform, allowing you to monitor your railcars’ status and receive critical updates.
• Non-Railcar Owners: Even if you don’t own railcars, you can still subscribe to RailPulse to access important data for the railcars listed on your waybills. RailPulse allows non-owners to use the system on an a la carte basis, where you only pay for the specific data services you use.

Why subscribe to RailPulse?

RailPulse provides real-time visibility in three key areas to drive your business:

• Location: Track your railcars with GPS data to make faster, more informed decisions and minimize delays.
• Condition: Monitor railcar status (e.g., loaded/empty, doors open/closed) to proactively address issues and reduce the risk of damage or spoilage.
• Health: Car owners that choose to install equipment health sensors can receive important data to help monitor the mechanical condition of their fleets.

How to get started

To get started, you need to subscribe to RailPulse by following these steps: 

1. Contact RailPulse: Go to RailPulse.com/Get-Started and fill out the contact form.
2. Installation: RailPulse will help you install GPS and telematics devices based on your needs. The cost will vary depending on the desired sensor array.
3. Platform Access: After installation, you’ll get access to real-time data via an easy-to-use, cloud-based dashboard.

Whether you own railcars or not, RailPulse offers options to meet your shipment visibility needs. For more information or to get started, visit RailPulse.