Demonizing Freight Rail for Political Gain

It continues to be disappointing and frustrating to see how freight rail is being demonized because of the contempt by some against coal. The latest attempt is through a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) that was released this week by the Cowlitz County Department of Building and Planning. The HIA, which is tied to Millennium Bulk

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The “First Downtown Seattle” Tunnel

Long before the SR 99 tunnel and the downtown bus/light rail tunnel, a railroad tunnel was constructed downtown between Washington and Virginia streets. A fascinating story about the tunnel is reported by Feliks Banel – broadcaster, filmmaker and historian – on mynorthwest.com. For more than 110 years, the tunnel has safely and reliably served passenger and

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Agriculture is Helping to Drive Growth

BNSF moved a record amount of agricultural shipments in 2016 and 2017, and we are continuing to move record volumes in 2018. This is driven in large part because of PNW exports.  Nearly 65 percent of the grain that BNSF carries originates from the upper plains states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana.

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Helping People in Crisis

Nothing is more important to BNSF Railway than safety and this extends to reducing the risk of accidents involving people who are in encampments on or near the railroad’s right-of-way. BNSF collaborates with local government and community groups to reach out to make people aware of safety concerns and to connect them with services. More than

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The Invictus Foundation Helps Veterans and Their Families

BNSF has made a grant of $20,000 to assist the Invictus Foundation in its efforts to improve access to behavioral health services by military members, veterans and their families. “Through BNSF Railway’s generosity we will continue to raise awareness about the psychological impact of war, to reduce stigma, and to raise awareness about the Welcome

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All Aboard: BNSF Honors Spokane Area First Responders

First responders from across greater Spokane were treated to a very special train ride this month. As a way to say thank you for their service, BNSF hosted about 150 first responders and their families aboard the First Responder Express. The First Responder Express, which is on BNSF’s private passenger rail cars, traveled from downtown

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BNSF Names Bonner County, Idaho as 2018 Heritage Community Award Recipient

Bonner County traces its rail roots back to before Idaho statehood. The Northern Pacific Railroad first reached Bonner County in the early 1880s from Spokane. The Great Northern came later in 1892 to Sandpoint, Idaho from Bonners Ferry. According to the Bonner County History Museum, the Spokane International built east from Spokane toward Coeur d’Alene

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Fire Trains Called Out in Pacific Northwest

BNSF’s specially designed and built fire trains are at hard at work again this summer on scene at forest and grass fires throughout the Pacific Northwest. Fire trains are rapidly deployed and can reach roadless areas – transporting both water and crews.  High-powered pumps on board can shoot water up to 300 feet.  The equipment

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Railroad History: Steamships Operated by BNSF Predecessor Companies

The Spokane, Portland and Seattle (SP&S) Railway was formed by BNSF predecessor companies Northern Pacific and Great Northern to pursue real estate and steamship ventures. Twin steamships, the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific, were the flagship vessels of the passenger service provide between Oregon and California. The two ships performed their job so well,

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BNSF Helps Customers Reduce Carbon Emissions

BNSF customers significantly decrease their carbon footprint by converting their shipments from trucks to trains. A single double-stack intermodal train removes several hundred long-haul freight trucks from the highway. In fact, no other form of land freight transportation is by its very nature more fuel- and resource-efficient than rail. Rail also provides tremendous benefits by

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BNSF is Supporting Local Communities this Summer

$10,000 donation to the Seattle Parks Foundation to help with Duwamish Waterway Park. $5,000 donation to the Spokane Public Library Foundation for its 24/7 Remote Access Library program. $3,500 donation to the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho St Vincent De Paul Savage Bureau for its Life and Social Skills Programming Support program.

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Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Gives BNSF Valuable Insight

BNSF continues to break ground in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – or drones – in the rail industry. We are becoming more involved in edge machine processing through which algorithms process data collected via drones in the field and then transfer it back to headquarters. In addition, camera systems installed on UAVs

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Idaho Spotlight: An Important Link in the BNSF Network

For more than a century, BNSF Railway Company has played a leading role in North Idaho’s economy. The tradition remains strong today as trainloads of products are shipped in or out of the state on our 32,500-mile rail network. Idaho is part of the Great Northern Corridor which spans the northern United States between the

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BNSF Releases its 2017 Annual Report

In 2017, BNSF saw some positive economic trends that resulted in performance improving over 2016. Volumes increased five percent, reflecting a strengthening economy as well as success in capturing additional business in many of the commodities BNSF hauls. In fact, during the peak holiday shipping period the week after Thanksgiving, BNSF broke an all-time weekly

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