Our team was selected as one of five finalists in the 2026 INFORMS Railway Applications Section (RAS) Problem Solving Competition, which received 26 final-report submissions.

The competition focuses on the Railroad Blocking Problem for North American Class I Railroads. Finalists were evaluated on quantitative solution quality, methodological distinctiveness, rigor and reproducibility, and computational efficiency.

For the next stage, finalist teams will submit a 15-minute presentation video by September 30, 2026, covering their solution, methodology, computational results, and key contributions. Final evaluation and the announcement of the winners remain pending.