Railcar pooling company TTX has signed on with RailPulse, the coalition established in late 2020 “to advance the use of GPS and sensor technology on railcars; deliver near real-time data through a common platform; and foster a more responsive, transparent and data-driven freight rail network.”
It becomes the 12th member of the coalition that comprises founding members Norfolk Southern (NS), GATX Corporation, Genesee & Wyoming Inc., TrinityRail, and Watco, which cumulatively own nearly 20% of the North American railcar fleet; plus The Greenbrier Companies, Union Pacific (UP), Railroad Development Corporation, Bunge, CSX, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). TTX has a fleet of 177,000-plus railcars and is privately-owned by BNSF, CN, CPKC, CSX, Ferromex, NS and UP.
RailPulse last fall officially launched its technology infrastructure, which it noted “provides near real-time data and insights across the North American freight railcar fleet. The platform leverages GPS and other telematics technologies to monitor the location, condition and health of railcars, aiming to enhance safety, efficiency and visibility for rail shippers, railroads and railcar owners.”
“The RailPulse Platform aggregates, enriches and securely stores data from sensors and other sources, delivering it to users through a web portal and application programming interfaces (APIs),” the coalition explained. “The platform accommodates a wide variety of railcar sensors, including those for location, movement, load, handbrake, door/hatch status, impact, and more. Owners get all data on their railcars, while approved data is securely shared with authorized users. Users can also set up alerts, geofences, and reports to manage their railcar fleets and shipments more effectively.”
TTX and RailPulse on Aug. 25, 2025, reported that TTX’s entry into RailPulse “brings a powerful new dimension to the coalition’s mission adding the scale, operational expertise and fleet management capabilities of North America’s leading shared railcar provider.”
Since RailPulse’s formation, they noted, the number of telematics-equipped railcars in North America has doubled, and with TTX’s participation, “RailPulse now captures data from the majority of these railcars.”
TTX’s participation, they added, strengthens the coalition’s ability to achieve several key objectives:
- “Improved Customer Experience: With greater visibility into car location, condition and performance, railroads and shippers gain access to more reliable ETAs, enhanced service transparency and actionable supply chain insights.
- “Standardized, Open Data: RailPulse’s neutral platform ensures consistent, high-quality data that can be accessed and leveraged across the industry, aligning with TTX’s mission to support all railroads through shared infrastructure and collaborative efficiency.
- “Smarter Asset Deployment: Near real-time GPS and sensor data from RailPulse enables TTX to improve the precision of car distribution and fleet allocation, reducing empty miles, dwell time and repositioning costs.
- “Predictive Maintenance at Scale: By shifting from scheduled to condition-based maintenance, TTX can improve car availability, extend asset life and reduce service interruptions, benefiting all railroads and customers using its fleet.”
“I’m grateful to those that offered support in TTX joining RailPulse,” TTX Executive Vice President Marty Thomas said. “Joining RailPulse underscores our dedication to driving innovation and ensuring the long-term strength of the freight rail industry. We envision a future where real-time data enhances everything from maintenance operations to the customer experience and we’re proud to help lead that evolution in collaboration with RailPulse.”
“The integration of TTX’s shared fleet model with RailPulse’s telematics platform is a game changer,” commented David Shannon, General Manager of RailPulse. “Together, we can align operational scale with data intelligence, accelerating our vision of a modernized, customer-centric rail network that is safer, more efficient and competitive.”
“Welcome to the RailPulse Coalition, TTX Company!” UP reported in an Aug. 25 LinkedIn post. “By working together as an industry, we’re driving innovation, visibility and efficiency across North America’s freight rail network.”
