In the railway industry, data digitization is increasingly vital as operators strive to boost efficiency, accuracy, and overall performance. With the extensive data involved in freight rail operations, modernizing data management systems is key to maintaining swift access to critical information, sustaining a competitive edge, and ensuring smooth operations.
Recognizing this imperative, STV spearheaded a digital transformation project with Norfolk Southern (NS), a leading freight railroad operator. The project focused on developing a modern, dynamic search database for NS’s extensive inventory of bridge documentation and Conrail data.
As a long-time partner of NS, STV has supported the railroad in major initiatives and infrastructure improvements for over 40 years. This enduring partnership extended to STV’s digital advisory services, which were engaged to digitize NS’s physical legacy files and integrate them into a new database for the railroad’s bridge planners and engineers.
Previously, engineers relied on a legacy internal database to search and manage the company’s bridge drawings, each of which could contain between 10 to 200 files. Additionally, over half of the bridge plans existed solely as physical aperture cards—scannable cards containing film copies of bridge plans—requiring manual searches through file cabinets.
Over a four-year period, STV facilitated the digitization, extraction, and organization of data from more than 20,000 physical aperture cards, incorporating this information into a new database.
STV’s digital advisory team also developed a custom interface that allows engineers to tag, organize, and retrieve vast amounts of bridge planning documentation quickly and efficiently. The new database enables engineers to perform single and bulk data editing, preview and markup drawings, and merge and print multiple drawings. Planners can now easily identify file contents, such as bridge ties or structural components, and group files by mileposts or other criteria.
As a result, engineers can access information much faster, accelerating both search times and the decision-making process for bridge engineering.
NS’ database overhaul highlights the transformative impact of data digitization. By leveraging STV’s expertise to transition from physical records to a dynamic digital database, Norfolk Southern has significantly enhanced operational efficiency and decision-making. This shift not only expedites data retrieval but also improves the performance of their engineering team. As the railway industry continues to evolve, embracing such digital advancements will be crucial for maintaining a competitive edge and ensuring effective operations.
