Systems and methods for efficiently switching railcars in a railroad yard

A method by a computing system for switching railcars at a railroad yard, the method comprising:

• accessing a list of selected railcars for an outgoing train;
• generating, using a plurality of train rules, a plurality of train consists that each comply with the plurality of train rules, each particular train consist comprising the selected railcars for the outgoing train and an associated number of railyard switch moves needed to build the particular train determining an expected switch distance associated with each generated train consist, the expected switch distance indicating a combined total distance that the selected railcars within the railyard would traverse to form the associated train consist;
• displaying indications of the plurality of generated train consists and their associated number of railyard switch moves on an electronic display;
• receiving a user selection of a desired train consist from the plurality of displayed train consists;
• generating a plurality of switch lists according to the desired train consist and a current inventory of railcars in the railyard, the plurality of switch lists comprising instructions about how to form the desired train consist in the railyard;
• and
• displaying the plurality of switch lists on the electronic display.

One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• accessing a list of selected railcars for an outgoing train;
• generating, using a plurality of train rules, a plurality of train consists that each comply with the plurality of train rules, each particular train consist comprising the selected railcars for the outgoing train and an associated number of railyard switch moves needed to build the particular train determining an expected switch distance associated with each generated train consist, the expected switch distance indicating a combined total distance that the selected railcars within the railyard would traverse to form the associated train consist;
• displaying indications of the plurality of generated train consists and their associated number of railyard switch moves on an electronic display;
• receiving a user selection of a desired train consist from the plurality of displayed train consists;
• generating a plurality of switch lists according to the desired train consist and a current inventory of railcars in the railyard, the plurality of switch lists comprising instructions about how to form the desired train consist in the railyard;
• and
• displaying the plurality of switch lists on the electronic display.