G&W and Tracsis: Transforming Safety in Rail Communications
What if an app could practically eliminate mistakes during track authority communications? What if it could also significantly reduce approval times and dispatcher workload?
The technology is already here, field-tested, and proven: the Tracsis Digital Track Authority (DTA) Mobile App.
G&W, North America’s largest operator of short lines and regional railroads, has transformed their dispatch messaging process by replacing traditional radio and phone communications with our digital rail technology solution.
Proven rail safety and efficiency benefits of the Tracsis DTA Mobile App include:
Mistakes cut to almost zero
Track authority approval times reduced up to 95%
“The DTA Mobile App fosters a culture of clear, concise, and efficient communication which improves accuracy, accountability, and safety,” Andy Kunzmann, Tracsis Chief of Technology, explains.
“It’s a robust platform for instant communication among rail personnel, leveraging features such as secure messaging and transaction verification.”
Following the success of the G&W rollout, another North American short line freight railroad has agreed to implement the mobile app[DG4.1] as part of a wider deal to integrate Tracsis’ innovative Computer-Aided Dispatch rail technology across their network.
The Rail Safety Challenge
Track authorities are typically requested and granted over radio or phone calls, with a strict process of writing down and reading back each data item.
Matt Keepman, Tracsis Vice President Sales North America, said the conventional system is inefficient and prone to errors. Workers may be put on hold for a long time while waiting for a busy dispatcher – while background noise increases the possibility of mishearing or misstating details.
“For example, you may have seven rail workers waiting to get track authorities approved. The dispatcher needs to go back and forth to have conversations with each of those workers,” Matt says.
“In comparison, under the new system, the dispatcher just has to click their mouse to select an option on a screen. What used to take 30 minutes can be done in two or three minutes.”
How Tracsis Helped: Rail Technology That Makes Dispatch Communications More Efficient
G&W owns or manages more than 100 freight railroads across the US and Canada and is a recognized leader in rail safety. As part of its pro-active safety culture, G&W is committed to harnessing innovation and rail technology to drive continuous improvement and create a safer working environment.
As long-term partners, G&W and Tracsis started work to introduce the DTA Mobile App for Maintenance of Way (MOW) workers four years ago, replacing verbal to-and-fro with secure digital communications integrated into the G&W dispatch system.
More than 500 team members now use the DTA App and the number is set to significantly increase in 2026 as an updated version is rolled out for train crews.
The Result: Fewer Errors, Faster Approvals
G&W have significantly ramped up efficiency and streamlined operations for all team members who work with track authorities and bulletins.
These are the key operational and ROI outcomes:
Eliminates mistakes
Reduces approval times up to 95%
On hold time reduced up to 90%
Dispatcher workload reduced by up to 20%
Operational Managers and Chief Engineers now have greater visibility over where and when people are working, enabling better strategic planning and decision-making.
Dispatchers can achieve more in less time, as they are no longer spending hours on the phone, and are significantly less likely to input the wrong data.
MOW workers are safer and more productive. They can start and end their work more efficiently – no more waiting on hold for an authority to be released at the end of the work day – so they can now get to their child’s football game or school play on time.
Further versions: Lone Workers & Train Crews
Following the successful roll-out to MOW workers, Tracsis developed a second version of the app to significantly reduce the risk of incidents involving lone workers. If a lone worker does not check out from a job when expected to, the dispatcher receives an automated alert to check in with them.
Considering lone maintenance workers can perform some duties on sites where they do not have exclusive use of the track, the Lone Worker App provides an extra layer of rail safety and compliance assurance.
G&W and Tracsis are also working on a digital rail technology solution to speed up communications between train crews and dispatchers. This will have many of the same features as the MOW app, with additional enhancements such as a feature that makes it possible for crews to roll up a track authority behind them at the click of a button.
Further Adoption and Next Steps
Considering the proven benefits in rail safety and efficiency, we are pleased to be collaborating with another North American short line freight railroad to implement the DTA Mobile App across their dispatch operations.
Tracsis is constantly working on ways to improve this rail technology to address even more use cases. We are currently exploring the possibilities for incorporating AI to drive further automation. For example, AI could be utilized in exception-based dispatching to manage scenarios such as equipment malfunction or a train running behind schedule.
To find our more message matt.keepman@tracsis.com
Benefits of the Tracsis Digital Track Authority Mobile App:
Saves time: by managing requests asynchronously
Assurance: dispatchers and workers are working from the same information
Compliance and transparency: complete record-keeping of all transactions
Seamless integration: with Tracsis DOC dispatch system and existing safety protocols
Reduces track authority violations: with accurate information
Versatile: connects through a secure cloud service to provide a digital interface to an on-premises or cloud-hosted dispatch system; works with iOS, Android and Microsoft platforms
