Positive Train Control and BNSF in the Pacific Northwest

There has been an ongoing conversation about Positive Train Control (PTC) in Washington state and elsewhere around the country. At BNSF Railway, we have been a leader in implementing PTC and the company began developing PTC well before Congress mandated it. We are fully committed to implementing PTC as nothing is more important to us

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Bonner County EMS gets a New Off-Road Ambulance

The rugged terrain of northern Idaho can provide some challenges for first responders.  With help from the BNSF Railway Foundation, the Bonner County EMS was able to purchase an ASAP off-road ambulance.  This ambulance is already helping save lives.  In October, it was put to the test twice in one day with the vehicle performing beyond first

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BNSF Railway Foundation in the Community

Titlow Lagoon restoration project moving forward thanks to BNSF Railway Foundation BNSF Railway Foundation has awarded the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG) a $25,000 grant for the Titlow Lagoon Restoration Project near Tacoma, Washington. These funds will be used to investigate lagoon hydrology, fill removal, salt marsh potential, design riparian buffers, and restore

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Did You Know? Cutting our Customers’ Carbon Emissions

By converting more of their shipping from trucks to trains, BNSF customers are significantly decreasing their carbon footprint. A single double-stack intermodal train removes more than 280 long-haul freight trucks from the highway. Shipping with BNSF intermodal instead of using entirely over-the-road solutions enabled BNSF customers to reduce their total carbon emissions by 34 million

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BNSF Hosts an Idaho Safety Training

BNSF and its contractors hosted north Idaho first responders in September to conduct drills on local waterways, demonstrating how to position containment booms and deploy other spill countermeasures. Attendees practiced setting up boom at Dover Bay, off Lake Pend Oreille, and on the Clark Fork River. Thousands of feet of spill deflection boom was towed

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Rail is Critical to Manufacturing

According to the Association of American Railroads nearly 3,000 events celebrated Manufacturing Day across the country during the first week of October. Freight rail moves the raw and finished products that directly support the critical manufacturing industry. In fact, rail moved 43.6 million tons of basic steel products in 2015 alone. To learn more, go

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Why Do Trains Blow Their Whistles?

The train whistle, or horn, is an important part of our safety practices. The horn alerts people that a train is approaching a railroad crossing. It can also be used to warn animals or trespassers in our right-of-way along a section of track. Many people don’t realize that federal and state regulations require us to

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BNSF Replaces the Washougal River Railroad Bridge

BNSF replaced its Washougal River Railroad Bridge in Camas, WA, using an innovative technique to replace the bridge spans. Rather than lifting new spans into place, they built spans right next to the bridge, slid the old spans to the side across beams, and then slid the new ones into place. The project was part

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BNSF Recognized with Prestigious Hay Award

The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) recently awarded the prestigious 2017 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence to a BNSF Engineering team for the BNSF/WSDOT ARRA Program in Washington State. This project, recently completed after 20 years of planning, permitting, design, development and construction, involved the expertise and hard work of hundreds of

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Rail Industry Promotes U.S. Rail Safety Week Sept. 24-30

The first-ever U.S. Rail Safety Week is planned for this week. The campaign is jointly sponsored by Operation Lifesaver Inc., BNSF Railway as well as other freight railroads and Amtrak, along with the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, the Association of American Railroads, and other safety partners. Rail Safety Week is

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Freight Rail Works for America Campaign

The Association of American Railroads launched a campaign to inform the public about the huge benefits freight rail has on our lives and economy. Here are 8 unbelievable facts about America’s freight railroads: 60 football fields: The length of the longest freight train in American history 4 American time zones: First established by freight railroads in 1883

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BNSF and Positive Train Control

BNSF began developing and testing a PTC system before the first Congressional mandate made in 2008. BNSF was the first and only freight railroad to operate PTC starting in 2012 and continues to be the leader in Class I railroad operations with PTC on freight lines. The industry-wide change is arguably one of the most

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BNSF First Responder Training in Spokane

In August, BNSF teamed up with the Spokane Police Department and other local first responders for a day of training.  The attendees learned about rail safety and methods for addressing an emergency response on or near the rails. What really seemed to stand out during the training day was the “hands on orientation” of the

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BNSF Railway Foundation Supports Local Organizations

The BNSF Railway Foundation provided a grant to the Southwest Region EMS and Trauma Care Council.  This grant was used to send 11 students in the Southwest Region to Emergency Medical Responder training during the 2016-2017 training year.  All 11 students successfully completed training on 6/30/2017 and are now completing their field work which will

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Tacoma Rainiers, USO Northwest and BNSF support WA military families

BNSF Railway teamed up with Tacoma Rainiers and the USO Northwest (United Service Organizations) to take local military families out for a game in their USO Heroes Suite.  The Rainiers partner with USO Northwest and local organizations to provide a completely free, family-friendly luxury suite experience for local military organizations. BNSF is a proud sponsor.

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