I can’t really speak to railroad technology but as far as transloading goes, the key improvements come with new computer systems.
Historically, communication between reloads and their customers has been in the form of emails, EDI, and phones. New systems are allowing the customers to enter their own information directly into the computer eliminating duplication and miscommunications. I suppose computer system improvements are the key for railroads as well, especially knowing where everything is and speeding that knowledge to where it needs to be.