# Short line railroad software that tracks the car, the clock and the track class

> A short line railroad is a Class III carrier operating a limited network and feeding traffic to a larger connection at an interchange. It carries full federal safety obligations: track safety standards at 49 CFR Part 213 tie speed to condition, with Class 1 track limited to 10 mph freight, Class 2 to 25 mph and Class 3 to 40 mph. Neurobird holds car location, the demurrage and car hire clocks, and maintenance spend by mile for the 45G credit.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/shortline/
- Product: Neurobird Short Line Railroad Dispatch Platform
- Niche: short line railroad
- Buyer: short line and regional railroads
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-21

## What Neurobird Short Line Railroad does

- Track every car from interchange through placement, release and return
- Start demurrage and car hire clocks at the event rather than from memory
- Keep track class, inspection records and defects tied to the segment they belong to
- Assemble maintenance spend by mile so the annual credit claim is not a receipt hunt

## How it works

1. **Track the car** Every car carries its own record from interchange receipt through placement, release and return, with location updated at the event rather than at shift end.
2. **Run the clocks from events** Demurrage free time and car hire start when the car is actually placed or received, so 48 free hours is a fact rather than an argument.
3. **Tie work to the track** Inspections, defects, class designation and maintenance spend attach to the segment, so an annual credit claim is assembled rather than reconstructed.

## From the source material

> Form STB-54 requires Class I railroads to report the number of cars loaded and terminated, by car type, during each calendar year and is due 90 days after the end of the reporting year (March 31).

Source: Surface Transportation Board, https://www.stb.gov/reports-data/economic-data/

## Industry context

- **Part 213** FRA track safety standards tie maximum operating speed to track class, with Class 1 at 10 mph for freight, Class 2 at 25 mph and Class 3 at 40 mph, plus prescribed inspection frequencies. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR Part 213, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-II/part-213)
- **Part 214** Railroad workplace safety, including roadway worker protection, which governs how track work is planned and protected. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR Part 214, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-II/part-214)
- **Part 225** Accident and incident reporting requirements, including the monetary damage threshold FRA adjusts annually and the records a railroad must keep. (source: eCFR, 49 CFR Part 225, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-II/part-225)
- **Form 8900** The railroad track maintenance credit is claimed on IRS Form 8900 and limited by a per mile cap, which makes spend by mileage a filing requirement rather than a nicety. (source: IRS Form 8900, https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8900.pdf)
- **STB data** The Surface Transportation Board sets railroad revenue class definitions and publishes the economic data behind rate and service oversight. (source: Surface Transportation Board, https://www.stb.gov/reports-data/economic-data/)

## Pricing

- Short line: $6 per route mile, per month
- Regional: $12 per route mile, per month
- Holding company: $22 per route mile, per month

## Questions

### What is a short line railroad?

A short line railroad is a Class III carrier operating a limited network, typically feeding traffic to a larger connection at an interchange point. Revenue class definitions come from the Surface Transportation Board, and short lines carry the same federal safety obligations as much larger railroads, including track standards, employee protection and accident reporting.

### What sets the speed on our track?

Track class. FRA track safety standards at 49 CFR Part 213 tie maximum allowable operating speed to the condition and geometry of the track, with Class 1 track limited to 10 mph for freight, Class 2 to 25 mph and Class 3 to 40 mph. Inspection frequency and defect remediation are prescribed in the same part.

### What is car hire and why does it matter so much?

Car hire, often called per diem, is what a railroad pays for the use of another railroad's or a private owner's car while it is on its line. The clock runs whether or not the car is doing anything, so cars parked at a customer waiting to be released are a running cost.

### What is the 45G credit?

A federal tax credit for railroad track maintenance available to Class II and Class III railroads. It is claimed on Form 8900 and is limited by a per mile cap of $3,500 multiplied by the eligible track miles, which is why maintenance spend needs to be recorded against mileage as it happens.

### Does this replace our accounting or dispatch system?

No. It holds the operating record: car location, interchange events, clocks, track class and maintenance by segment. Whatever you use for billing and general ledger reads from it.

## Sources

- [49 CFR Part 213, track safety standards](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-II/part-213)
- [49 CFR Part 214, railroad workplace safety](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-II/part-214)
- [49 CFR Part 225, accident reporting](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-II/part-225)
- [IRS Form 8900, railroad track maintenance credit](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8900.pdf)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/