July 2020

July 2020 • The latest from the Pacific Northwest

BNSF Adds Service Between the PNW and Ohio

Last month, BNSF introduced a new service between the Pacific Northwest and Northwest Ohio. Customers who originate shipments at BNSF’s South Seattle Intermodal Facility can now access some of the fastest growing industrial and consumer markets in and around northwest Ohio, including Toledo, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Louisville and Pittsburgh.

The container-only service is available five days a week for both eastbound and westbound freight. Stemming from the growth of BNSF’s direct-rail intermodal service connecting California with the Ohio Valley, this new option supports greater supply chain efficiency and reflects BNSF’s continued focus on providing access to key markets and enhanced service capabilities.

Learn more about the new service between the PNW and Ohio
here.

Cheney Depot Moved Safely Down the Line

The Cheney Depot, once the center of the small Washington town, safely moved to its new home on private property last month. Built in 1929, the Spanish Eclectic-styled depot was saved from demolition through the coordinated efforts of BNSF and the Cheney Depot Society.

In its earlier years, the Cheney Depot was the iconic starting location for any journey out of town. Times changed, and in the 1970s the depot stopped accommodating passenger operations. The depot was used for office space and storage until it was declared surplus property in 2013. Soon after, the Cheney Depot Society was formed and began working to save the historic building.

BNSF gifted the depot to the society and allowed the depot to remain on BNSF property while the society raised money for the move. The society plans to restore the depot so that it can open as a new business, possibly a restaurant. Now located three blocks south, the depot is positioned as the southern anchor to Cheney’s core downtown commercial district.

Learn more about the move here and here.

Photo credit: Jill Weiszmann

Safety Near Tracks Saves Lives

It’s a shocking fact that about every three hours in the U.S., a person or vehicle is hit by a train.

BNSF is committed to preventing collisions, injuries and fatalities on and around railroad tracks. It is illegal—and unsafe—to access private railroad property anywhere other than a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing. This includes trespassing, loitering or engaging in recreational activities (jogging, taking photos, hunting or fishing) around highway-rail grade crossing and around tracks.

Please join us in reducing injuries and deaths around tracks and trains by doing your part. Learn more about Track Safety Basics!

Supporting Our Communities

The BNSF Railway Foundation invests in the communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where BNSF employees live, work and volunteer. Recent donations include:

Providing Clothing and Hygiene Products for Low Income Youth

The Arlington Kids Kloset provides new and quality used clothing, shoes, and hygiene products free of charge. This service is available to low income students, students in Early Childhood Education Assistance Programs (ECEAP), and homeless and unaccompanied youth in Arlington, Darrington, and Lakewood, WA. Arlington Kids Kloset also serves youth in families with emergency needs.

Building Bridges to Opportunity

Portland YouthBuilders offers hope and a second chance at success for youth ages 17-24 whose experiences with poverty, violence, drugs, hunger and loss have interrupted their route to success. Serving more than 200 young people a year, PYB offers a program of high school completion, vocational training, counseling, and support.

Creating Better Futures through Job Training

New Leaf Kitchen & Café in Spokane, WA provides job training in the food services industry for women with barriers to traditional employment. The programs blend education, hands-on work experience, and supportive services to help women gain the self-confidence and professional skills necessary for self-sufficiency.

Emergencies – Call 800-832-5452

To report a vehicle stalled on a crossing, suspicious circumstances, malfunctioning crossing gates and lights, or any other emergency, call 800-832-5452 immediately.

Have a Question for Us?

Do you have a question about BNSF or rail in the Pacific Northwest that you would like addressed in future issues of Inside Track? Send them to [email protected].

We welcome your feedback and ideas!

Visit bnsfnorthwest.com