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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 Railway has been longtime supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the Pacific Northwest and across its system. On Wednesday, June 20th, Spokane-area BNSF employees donated 25 bicycles to the Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of Spokane County. More than just bicycles, though—BNSF employees also worked with BGC kids to help them assemble the…
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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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$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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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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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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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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BNSF once again participated in the Junior Service League of Wenatchee’s annual Touch-a-Truck fundraiser. With signs, trucks and football giveaways, BNSF spent the afternoon exposing kits to our service trucks and teaching them about what these vehicles do to keep our rail lines safe. The “Touch a Truck” fundraising event is a community wide event…
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