Ferrovalle has selected INFORM's Syncrotess Optimization Plus to power a Smart Yard automation project at its Mexico City intermodal terminal, a facility that handled roughly 550,000 TEUs in 2025. The deal, signed in early September 2026, targets a go-live date of June 2027 and will introduce AI-driven decision support across yard, equipment, and train operations without replacing Ferrovalle's existing in-house Terminal Operating System.
How the hybrid architecture works
Rather than ripping out the TOS Ferrovalle built internally, Syncrotess Optimization Plus will sit on top as an optimization layer. The two systems will exchange train consist data, load plans, container status, clearance information, and operational updates. This approach preserves Ferrovalle's existing digital investments while adding a coordinated optimization engine that generates continuously updated recommendations for dispatchers.
The initial optimized fleet spans eight RTG cranes, four reach stackers, and 14 terminal tractors. INFORM's Yard Optimizer, Crane Optimizer, Vehicle Optimizer, and Train Load Optimizer will work together to increase equipment throughput and improve the ratio of billable moves to total handling volume. The software also enforces service-level targets for truck handling, train loading, and train discharging.
Customs clearance meets automated decision-making
The project covers two distinct yards: one for customs-cleared containers and one for customs-controlled cargo. The optimization engine maintains this separation while handling different processes for maritime and cross-border containers. Before the system assigns a container for train loading, Ferrovalle's TOS confirms that customs and documentation clearance is complete. Only cleared containers get released for loading.
Integration with the terminal's Equipment Control System enables automatic weight verification during routine crane lifts. That eliminates separate weighing stops. Dedicated inspection and loading areas are woven into the workflow through automated tractor assignments and status exchanges with the TOS.
Moving beyond dispatcher experience
"Smart Yard represents an important next step in Ferrovalle's digital transformation and in our vision for the future of intermodal operations," said Francisco Fabila, Managing Director of Ferrovalle. "Our objective is clear: every train, every railcar, every container and every truck moving through our operation should have real-time digital visibility, supported with automated data capture, advanced analytics and AI-driven decision support by INFORM."
Fabila emphasized that technology serves as an enabler, not an end in itself. The goal is a more predictable and reliable service. Currently, container storage planning, equipment deployment, and train loading decisions depend heavily on manual criteria and dispatcher judgment. The Train Load Optimizer automates a planning process that remains largely manual today, generating optimized load plans from available containers, train configurations, operational restrictions, and clearance status. Planners can still review and adjust the proposals.
Dr. Eva Savelsberg, Senior Vice President Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics at INFORM, said the task is "to connect the available data with intelligent optimization and coordinate decisions across yard, equipment, and train operations." Ferrovalle already runs a sophisticated digital infrastructure, so the project focuses on connection rather than replacement.
Why this matters for operations professionals
Ferrovalle's approach offers a concrete model for operations teams evaluating AI for Operations in asset-heavy environments. The hybrid architecture - optimization software layered over an existing TOS - sidesteps the cost and disruption of a full system replacement. For AI for Operations Managers, the project demonstrates how customs and compliance checks can be embedded directly into automated workflows, turning regulatory constraints into gated decision logic rather than manual bottlenecks. The nine-month timeline from contract signing to go-live sets a practical benchmark for similar-scale terminal automation initiatives.
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