Method and apparatus for planning the movement of trains using dynamic analysis

1. A method of planning the movement of trains over a rail network, comprising:

(a) receiving a schedule for the planned movement of a train along a route;

(b) monitoring and accessing a database including current train characteristics selected from the group of train length, hazmat content, high/wide restrictions, horsepower, speed, stopping distance, acceleration, and combinations thereof;

(c) detecting a change to any train characteristic in the database;

(d) predicting a train characteristic of the train at plural locations along the route as a function of the detection of the change; and

(e) planning the movement of the train as a function of the predicted train characteristic at ones of the plural locations along the route.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information contained in the database is derived from historical performance.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(f) disabling autorouting of the train as a function of the detection of a change to a planning attribute.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of updating the database with information received from a field sensor.

5. A method of planning the movement of trains over a rail network, comprising:

(a) receiving a schedule for the planned movement of a train along a route;

(b) maintaining a database of train characteristics;

(c) planning the movement of the train as a function of the train characteristics;

(d) updating the database with information received from a railroad management information system;

(e) monitoring the database to detect a change to any train characteristic;

(f) predicting a train characteristic of the train at plural locations along the route as a function of the detected change; and

(g) planning the movement of the train as a function of the predicted train characteristic at ones of the plural locations along the route.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the train characteristics are selected from the group of train length, hazmat content, high/wide restrictions, horsepower, speed, stopping distance, acceleration, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein information received from a railroad's management information system includes information received from a field sensor.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for controlling the movement of plural trains over a rail network, the computer program comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code modules embodied in said medium for planning the movement of trains;

a computer readable first program code module for receiving a schedule for the planned movement of a train along a route;

a computer readable second program code module for monitoring and accessing a database including current train characteristics selected from the group of train length, hazmat content, high/wide restrictions, horsepower, speed, stopping distance, acceleration, and combinations thereof;

a computer readable third program code module for detecting a change to any train characteristic in the database;

a computer readable fourth program code module for predicting a train characteristic of the train at plural locations along the route as a function of the detection of the change; and

a computer readable fifth program code module for planning the movement of the train as a function of the predicted train characteristic at ones of the plural locations along the route.

9. The computer program of claim 8 further comprising a computer readable sixth program code module for updating the database with information received from a railroad management information system.