The Alaskan Way Viaduct permanently closed on January 11, making way for the new State Route 99 tunnel. Until the tunnel opens, up to 90,000 vehicles a day that used the viaduct are expected to shift to surface streets through and around downtown Seattle. BNSF plays an important role in reducing highway congestion while also…
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As one of the largest landholding companies in the U.S., BNSF is the keeper of more than one million contracts, deeds, photographs and maps collected over nearly 170 years. Maps are essential to the railroad – capturing permanent property records and locations of important assets including signals, structures and property lines. In 2013, BNSF began…
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A nearly five-mile second main line track between Washougal and Mt. Pleasant, Wash. was recently completed, with a first train successfully travelling over the line near the BNSF’s Fallbridge Subdivision, which spans the Columbia River Gorge, late in December 2018. Adding a second track addresses previous constraints on the west end of the subdivision, enhancing…
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The BNSF Railway Foundation has been BNSF’s main vehicle for charitable giving since 1996. The Foundation has supported and helped improve quality of life for thousands of communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where BNSF employees live, work and volunteer. Recent foundation donations include: Honoring our brave Veterans The Oregon Medal…
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BNSF and our transportation service partners work hand-in-hand, coordinating to ensure loved ones and packages arrive at their destinations on time, through all kinds of weather. BNSF expects to deliver more than 70 million packages during the holiday season with analysts estimating holiday retail sales topping $1 trillion this year. “Remaining agile and finding alternative…
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Winter months bring extreme and unpredictable weather in the Pacific Northwest. BNSF has the tools, training and resources, including our avalanche safety program, to safely and reliably respond. Avalanche forecasters are utilized throughout a mountainous, avalanche-prone section in Glacier National Park near Essex, Montana. When pre-emptive actions are necessary, the Daisybell, an environmentally-sensitive technology device…
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The BNSF Railway Foundation rounded out a year of giving with contributions to key organizations that make significant impacts in the communities we serve including: Inchelium Language and Culture Association Inchelium is committed to the revitalization and preservation of tribal languages of the traditional territories of Colville people including Southern British Columbia. BNSF contributed $20,000 to the…
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BNSF is committed to ongoing maintenance and upgrading of its infrastructure – including bridges – to keep train traffic moving safely and efficiently. Originally built in 1908, the Washougal River Railroad Bridge at Camas, Wash. helped drive economic growth in the Pacific Northwest, but the bridge was in need of replacement to ensure safety and…
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Railway Age recently produced a leadership profile of BNSF’s Executive Chairman Matt Rose. Rose sat down with editor-in-chief William Vantuono for a wide-ranging interview reflecting on his distinguished career and exploring issues including safety, finances, growth, commuter rail and the future of railroads. A notable reflection from Rose: Less is not better. He states, “We are…
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A recently released Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT) analysis concludes Washington state companies and workers gain from the newly signed US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Canada and Mexico are the U.S.’ second and third largest trading partners, and the two counties have been leading markets for Washington state goods exported including in the key areas of…
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BNSF utilizes advanced technology to improve safety and enhance efficiency across our railroad. BNSF deploys more than 4,000 wayside detectors across our network that work in conjunction with our sophisticated predictive analytics tools to evaluate and act upon vast amounts of data, making our operations safer and more efficient. These systems can identify potential safety…
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BNSF’s network crosses 32 Native American reservations including in the Pacific Northwest. The company works closely with tribes to be better prepared to respond in the unlikely event of a derailment that results in a spill. Recently, tribal representatives and BNSF trained together near the Upriver Dam in Spokane. “Working together with the tribes helps us…
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As part of our company’s commitment to supporting the communities that we serve, BNSF employees in Seattle helped to distribute food to people in need at St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle and King County’s food bank in Georgetown. In 2017, St. Vincent de Paul of Seattle and King County’s Georgetown food bank assisted over…
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BNSF’s roots go back before statehood. By 1892, predecessor company Northern Pacific Railroad Company was offering through service between Minneapolis and Sitka on its trains and steamers. A roundtrip train ticket between Minneapolis and Seattle was offered for $80 (roughly $2,200 in today’s dollars).
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BNSF upgraded more than 460 locomotives in 2017 with technology focused on increasing fuel efficiency. More than 60 percent of our active road fleet locomotives utilize an energy management system to maximize fuel efficiency and train handling by optimizing throttle and brake use. Approximately 98 percent of our locomotives are equipped with automatic engine start/stop…
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