BNSF is investing nearly $220 million in Washington this year. Our plan is focused on maintenance projects that ensure we continue operating a safe and reliable network and support growing customer demand. The largest component of this year’s capital plan in the state will be replacing and upgrading rail, rail ties and ballast. Regular maintenance…
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BNSF’s Northwest hazardous materials team, led by director Justin Piper, works tirelessly to ensure the railroad ships commodities such as crude oil safely, and trains first responders on how to respond to incidences. This video is part of BNSF’s “Making Connections” video series, a behind-the-scenes look at BNSF employees in the Pacific Northwest who are…
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Last week, a Union Pacific oil train derailed in Oregon. Emergency responders, including BNSF, acted swiftly to contain the risk, and protect communities and the Columbia River. Thankfully, no injuries were reported and residents are returning to their homes. Nothing — absolutely nothing — is more important to BNSF Railway than operating safely. We are…
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Just like your own circulatory system, BNSF’s rail network requires proactive and planned maintenance to keep things moving. Scheduled doctor’s visits give you information about how to prevent future illnesses; similarly, frequent, in-depth inspections help BNSF identify where we need to focus efforts to ensure rail safety and reliability. BNSF’s planned maintenance commitment is essential…
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Fire District 3 in Husum, Wash., near White Salmon received a new brush truck in anticipation for this year’s upcoming fire season. BNSF supported the completion of the new truck with $6,000 from the BNSF Railway Foundation, which helped cover the purchase and installation of the truck’s emergency lighting, radio equipment, and other associated controls.…
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At BNSF Railway, we’re proud our shared history with the Boeing Company helped build the Puget Sound region into what it is today. And we’re proud to be an integral part of one of the most sophisticated supply chain operations in the world – an innovative logistics chain that gets the right parts to the…
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From Bellingham to Vancouver and Spokane, BNSF employees throughout Washington have been recognized as employees of the year. One of the 92 people being honored around the country is Justin Piper, Director – Hazardous Materials. Justin (pictured above), who is based in Vancouver, has been responsible for helping to train thousands of local emergency responders…
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In the late 1950s, The Dalles Dam and John Day Dam neared completion, causing water levels to rise and threatening many prehistoric rock carvings. James Lee Hansen, one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier sculptors, made stone copies of the carvings to save them from being lost in the rising Columbia River. Because of grants provided…
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Every year a member of Congress and a railroad employee are presented with the John H. Chafee Award to recognize outstanding environmental stewardship in the railroad industry. This year BNSF nominated John Jeffrey for his forward-thinking improvements and safe operations at BNSF’s locomotive fueling facility in Hauser, Idaho. John helped work with government agencies to…
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Recently, Crosscut ran the article “At Mariners games, it’s baseballs and bomb trains.” Our response to the article, also published on Crosscut, is below: BNSF Railway welcomes serious public discussion of rail safety issues. Unfortunately, Nick Abraham’s piece published April 11 (“At Mariners games, it’s baseballs and bomb trains”) fell short of making a contribution. As a railroad,…
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How much do you know about the thousands of people BNSF employs in the region? This month, BNSF launches Making Connections, a behind-the-scenes look at BNSF employees who contribute to safe, efficient, and technologically advanced rail transportation. Filmed across Washington and Oregon, the new series showcases BNSF employees who stabilize slopes in Puget Sound, volunteer…
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Painted Journeys is a nationally touring exhibition organized by the Buffalo Bill Center of the West on view at Tacoma Art Museum through May 1, 2016. John Mix Stanley traveled thousands of miles crisscrossing the western territories in the mid-1800s, venturing as far as the kingdom of Hawaii. The prolific artist is best known for his portraits of American Indians…
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Last month, the Benjamin Franklin – a vessel the length of two Space Needles — arrived in Seattle, offering a glimpse of Washington’s international trade future. Ships arriving in Seattle typically hold about 10,000 20-foot shipping containers. The Benjamin Franklin holds 18,000 containers that, when laid end-to-end, would stretch from Tacoma to Everett. Mega container ships like this one are the…
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BNSF congratulates Sarah Amador, human resources manager at BNSF Railway, who has been chosen as a finalist for the Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s WIBLI Rising Star award. The award recognizes up-and-coming women leaders who are advancing gender equity.
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BNSF’s new mobile classroom is making its way around the state for the first time this year. The converted boxcar seats up to 37 people and is expected to host more than 100 emergency response classes in 2016. Thousands of local emergency responders have been trained by BNSF’s Hazardous Materials Safety team. However, some locations – especially more…
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