We all remember the beginning of COVID shutdowns and empty store shelves last year. Cleaning and disinfecting products were some of the hardest to find. Like most Americans, team BNSF had to change course quickly to secure an adequate supply of those elusive items. Central to BNSF’s pivot was the Technical Research & Development (TR&D)…
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Thanks to a focus on education, enforcement and engineering, the number of train/motor vehicle collisions in the U.S. has fallen 84 percent – from a 1972 high of about 12,000 annual incidents to approximately 1,900 in 2020. But there are still too many incidents. In the U.S., a person or vehicle is hit by a…
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The Sandpoint Junction Connector bridge project (SJC) has been a boon to the regional economy around Sandpoint, Idaho. When complete, the SJC bridge project will double the track on BNSF’s existing line by constructing a second rail bridge over Lake Pend Oreille and adding new bridges over busy Sandpoint streets. These upgrades will reduce congestion…
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The BNSF Railway Foundation invests in the communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where BNSF employees live, work and volunteer. Recent donations include: Building Places for Safe and Fun Play Valley View Elementary School in Bonners Ferry, ID values academic and behavioral excellence and play! Increased physical activity during the school…
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Forbes recently released their list of best employers for women, and BNSF Railway ranks in the top ten of American employers. BNSF has demonstrated support for female talent through several programs. For example, because the railroad was on the front lines of the pandemic delivering critical supplies, work demand and shift schedules created challenges for…
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Construction of the new BNSF railroad bridge across Lake Pend Oreille is proceeding on schedule. Pile driving has been substantially completed over the lake, and construction crews are starting to install pier caps and bridge girders. During these last summer days, BNSF reminds boaters and recreationists to avoid the construction area and provide a wide…
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Turntables aren’t just for records! In fact, they were used for locomotives long before they were spinning your favorite classics. Use of turntables to turn locomotives dates back to the 1830s, many years before the phonograph was invented in 1877. Record players may have since been replaced with media players and mobile devices, but turntables…
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A new emergency response vehicle for the American Red Cross Greater Inland Northwest Chapter was recently unveiled thanks to a $50,000 donation from the BNSF Railway Foundation. The donation was made in 2019 but production of the emergency response vehicle was delayed due to COVID-19 and related supply chain issues. Its August arrival in Spokane…
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Did you know the term “beans” on the railroad means it’s time to eat? Ever heard of a gandy dancer? What’s a mother and slug? Did you know that a shoo-fly is a railroad term for a by-pass track? The rail industry has its own unique vernacular that has developed over nearly 200 years and…
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One way BNSF works to ensure the right solution is offered to each customer is by scouting out potential sites for development in advance of customer inquiries. BNSF’s Site Certification Program identifies optimal rail-served sites and conducts in-depth reviews of ten economic development criteria to determine if the site meets BNSF’s stringent readiness standards.…
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BNSF is proud to be a sponsor of Pacific Northwest Economic Region’s (PNWER) 2021 Annual Summit which will take place August 15-19 in Big Sky, Montana. Postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, the PNWER Annual Summit returns in 2021 as the leading forum where people in the policy and business come together to solve…
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The BNSF Railway Foundation invests in the communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where BNSF employees live, work and volunteer. Recent donations include: Building Caring, Confident Youth Camp Fire Columbia is a youth development organization located in Portland, OR with a mission to build caring, confident youth and future leaders. Camp…
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BNSF trains operate across much of the West, including areas where high winds and drought conditions can result in wildfires on or near tracks. BNSF takes steps to prevent fires but they often occur from other sources like lightning strikes, trespassers, etc., and the sooner they’re put out, the sooner train service can get back…
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As a western railroad, BNSF operates trains in rough and remote terrain, including mountains, canyons and deserts. Rocks—some as big as a small car—can occasionally roll onto the tracks. And while BNSF monitors weather conditions and regularly conducts inspections to ensure the integrity of its network, track-condition detectors provide another layer of safety. Trackside detectors…
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The BNSF Railway Foundation invests in the communities across the 28 states through which BNSF operates, and where BNSF employees live, work and volunteer. Recent donations include: Completing Safe, Scenic Riverside Trails in Bonners Ferry Nearly three decades ago, Riverside Park in Bonners Ferry, ID along the Kootenai River was designed to be a one-of-a-kind…
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