BNSF recently put the final spike in a 7-year program that included 14 complex projects in Washington. These projects, mainly funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), focused on enhancing passenger rail service and ensuring a consistent level of freight operations through the region. With a budget of nearly $480 million in federal funds, BNSF…
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BNSF regularly and rigorously inspects our network and equipment to ensure we continue to run a safe, reliable railroad. Our efforts include routine visual inspections by more than 650 trained and experienced track inspectors who patrol miles of track. BNSF also uses special rail cars equipped with ultrasonic detection and other technologies to look for…
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BNSF’s large fleet of firefighting rail equipment is deployed throughout the Pacific Northwest and is on call to support local, state and federal government fire suppression teams. The specially designed and built units quickly move tanks holding thousands of gallons of water to wild fires in remote locations. Water cannons mounted on the trains can reach 300…
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Praising our “efforts benefiting fish, water quality, habitat and habitat connectivity,” the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) gave BNSF its 2016 WSDOT Environmental Excellence Award. The Otter Creek Restoration Project in Lewis County, Washington, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, was part of BNSF’s new track construction near Kalama, Washington. BNSF worked…
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BNSF is deploying new technologies designed to reduce emissions, which include: Idle control: Idle-control mechanisms reduce air emissions and fuel consumption by automatically shutting down locomotives that aren’t being used. About 90 percent of our more than 8,000 locomotives have idle-control technology, and all new locomotives we purchase are equipped with this technology. We continue to…
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Pictured at right: Courtney Wallace, BNSF Regional Director of Public Affairs, and Seth Muir, Salish Sea Expeditions Executive Director, on the bridge of Elettra III in Ballard, which is used for hands-on teaching of marine science and technology. The BNSF Railway Foundation is a proud sponsor of the program, which has provided learning experiences to…
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As we move forward in 2017, we must remain strong, resilient and agile while driving continued improvements in safety, service, efficiency and reliability for our customers. Safety will always be the most important thing we do, and we will not be successful until we achieve our safety vision. Change is constant and the pace of…
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BNSF recently completed the first of two phases to replace the Camas Bridge in southwest Washington. “The team replaced the bridge’s 100-year-old truss with a new concrete approach span and 1.3 million pound truss,” said Mike Herzog, director of bridge construction. The Camas Bridge spans the Washougal River on BNSF’s Fallbridge Subdivision in southwest Washington. Approximately 15…
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The Oregon Legislature recently honored Bend resident Bob Maxwell who at 96-year-old is the oldest living recipient of the Medal of Honor and the only recipient living in Oregon. Separately, as a way to say thank you for his service, BNSF also honored Maxwell and the Bend Heroes Foundation during a special train ride aboard…
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Starting this summer, BNSF will be adding 10 miles of double track in North Idaho. The second set of tracks will help ease congestion between Athol and Rathdrum. Double track increases the network’s capacity by giving train dispatchers more options when directing traffic and by allowing planned maintenance to happen on one track while the…
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It was disappointing to read the final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that the Washington Department of Ecology released on the Millennium Bulk Terminals project, and the subsequent public tweets from the agency concerning this document. The FEIS makes several faulty assumptions about BNSF Railway’s operations, resulting in conclusions that overstate, in a counterproductive manner, the…
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For more than a century, BNSF Railway 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 Pacific…
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Firefighters from Bend, Sun River, Crescent and other areas around Central Oregon received hazmat training from BNSF. BNSF brought a modified, training tank car to Bend so that first responders receive a better of understanding of how to respond to an incident involving the railroad. This mobile classroom on rails allowed first responders to experience…
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As part of a Washington State Department of Transportation project (WSDOT), the first trains are now safely operating over the new third main rail line at Longview. Prior to completion, freight rail traffic arriving and departing from the Ports of Kalama and Longview frequently blocked one main line track for extended periods of time limiting…
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In early April, installers from the City of Spokane began replacing outdated lights with energy-efficient, Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures in under-lit railroad underpasses between Stevens and Walnut. In addition to energy efficiency, the new fixtures will emit a clearer white light, increasing visibility and providing a safer and more secure passage underneath the railroad…
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