Right now, there’s a systemic rail failure across the west with regards to capacity. RailState can provide an estimate of capacity for trains per day over a specific segment of rail, and this information allows you to predict the types of problems you may encounter. For example, if there’s a segment of rail whose capacity is 30 trains-per-day, and, thanks to RailState’s data, you’re regularly seeing 30 trains-per-day move through that segment, you can infer what type of glitches may arrive. One seemingly insignificant backup and the entire segment is delayed. 

RailState’s capacity data is also helpful from a planning standpoint. Say someone wants to build a new plant along a certain line — they’ll need to consider if they’ll have enough capacity to move what needs to be moved. If not, they’ll need to build the plant elsewhere. Again, this data changes the conversation with railroads, and makes it more productive.