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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U.S. National Parks are home to some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world, but the history these protected lands share with U.S. railroads may be surprising. As railroads expanded passenger service westward in the 19th and 20th centuries, they enticed visitors to travel to these then unknown destinations. Expeditions had already revealed the…
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BNSF’s 2020 Annual Review is now available online. This year’s report is fully digital and details how BNSF answered the call to operate safely, serve its customers, protect the environment and value people and communities. In a year of pandemic and crisis, people continued to rely on the delivery of essential goods, perhaps even more…
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Rail is the most sustainable way to move goods long distances over land, and BNSF is a recognized leader. Here are just a few ways BNSF makes sure its railroad is part of the solution for a cleaner, healthier planet: Cleaner, Smarter Machines: No other form of land freight transportation is more fuel- and resource-efficient…
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BNSF takes every precaution to make sure that all track components including rail, crossties, spikes, bolts and plates and even the roadbed underlying the track are stable and dependable. One of the technologies used for inspecting tracks is its fleet of geometry cars, better known as “geo cars.” There are two types: the traditional geometry…
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Across its network, BNSF is grappling with an overwhelming increase in homeless encampments along the tracks and on railroad property. In response, BNSF created a community liaison position focused solely on addressing system-wide homeless encampments on BNSF tracks. Israel Salazar, a 26-year employee and BNSF Deputy Police Chief, has been the community liaison since 2017.…
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Work continues on pile installation for the new bridge over Lake Pend Oreille. In the coming two months, expect to see continued pile installation, permanent pile bracing installation, and the first pier caps set. The new Bridge Street rail bridge is completed, and no more road closures are planned for this access to City Beach. Steel…
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Andrea Capiola, an archaeologist in Coupeville, WA, credits her passion for trains with getting her through a very difficult period in her life. She has loved trains since she was a child watching her brother build his model railroad. As an adult, Capiola started photographing trains during a trip through western Washington. Then a year…
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When communities want to deliver infrastructure projects that cross, intersect or parallel BNSF’s network in some way, BNSF’s Public Projects team is the point of contact. Manager of Public Projects Anna Delheimer acts as a liaison between public agencies and the railroad for projects in Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota. Delheimer plays a key role in…
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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: Ensuring Access to Art, Wildlife, and History BNSF Railway Foundation contributes an annual grant to the High Desert Museum in Bend, OR. The museum’s 135 acres and more…
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As we move into spring, construction continues on the Sandpoint Junction Connector and the project remains on schedule. Approximately 75% of the piles in Lake Pend Oreille have been installed. Work for this spring includes continued piling installation across Lake Pend Oreille and pile installation at the new Sand Creek Bridge. The new Bridge Street…
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Women’s History Month, observed in the United States each March since 1987, provides the opportunity to reflect on the contributions of women to our world. Women have been involved in railroading since the 1800s. Some of the first railroad jobs they held were as registered nurses and what was referred to at the time as…
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Mid-February’s arctic outbreak brought a deep freeze to much of the nation. Worse, it was not just one event, but back-to-back winter blasts, including Winter Storm Uri, which delivered blinding white snow driven by high winds, coupled with icy precipitation. Temperatures dropped below zero. Power and water outages across the Midwest and South crushed communities,…
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Since the early 1900s, the BNSF Salmon Bay Rail Bridge has enabled freight and passenger trains to cross the Lake Washington Ship Canal in Seattle. On average, 30 to 40 trains cross the bridge each day, including Sounder and Amtrak passenger trains and shipments to and from major ports in Washington. BNSF is required by…
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