New App Makes Getting Wind Data a Breeze

As a common carrier operating in diverse conditions across vast landscapes, BNSF is constantly monitoring all aspects of weather, including the wind. Here in the Pacific Northwest, train crews use new technologies to track the wind and ensure safe passage through the region.

BNSF has a network of wind stations across the system that measure the wind speeds, wind direction, air temperature, humidity levels, and more. The stations send wind warnings to dispatchers in the Network Operations Center who notify train crews in affected areas, and crews in the field also have hand-held anemometers they can use to measure the wind. More recently, employees from BNSF’s Technology Services and Network Control Systems teams designed an app that gives users real-time wind data. Train crews now have wind readings at their fingertips.