September 2020
Rail Safety Week: A Reminder to Use Caution Year Round
Did you know that it can take more than a mile for a freight train to stop? Promoting train track safety is an essential part of BNSF’s operation and culture. That’s why BNSF actively seeks ways to educate about rail safety such as partnering with Operation Lifesaver, Inc. to observe Rail Safety Week and Operation Clear Track from September 21 through 27. The goal of Rail Safety Week is to raise awareness of the need for rail safety education and empower the general public to be safe near highway-rail grade crossings and railroad rights-of-way. Operation Clear Track is a safety initiative involving more than 500 local, state, federal and railroad police organizations stationed at grade crossings across the country to distribute rail safety materials. This year’s effort will be conducted virtually. BNSF also promotes track safety by reaching out directly to local communities, such as the recent article by Spokane BNSF deputy police chief Alan Dryer featured in the Spokesman Review. BNSF Railway is committed to preventing rail collisions, injuries and fatalities. We are proud of the important work we do to move freight around North America. Especially during this time of COVID-19, when there is so much disruption to food, protective equipment, and sanitation supply chains, our people are working hard to keep the country comfortable and safe. Learn more about rail safety here.
BNSF Helps Battle Evans Canyon Fire
One of BNSF’s two specially equipped firefighting trains joined the nearly 1,000 firefighters and impressive array of machines in the fight against the recent Evans Canyon Fire. Each train can take firefighters to hard-to-reach hot spots, carries 30,000 gallons of water and uses hoses to shoot water up to 30 feet away. The trains are key to protecting railroad employees and property and the grassy rangeland they move through. The Evans Canyon Fire started August 31 north of Naches, WA. It burned nearly 76,000 acres and forced more than 900 families to evacuate. The last remaining evacuation notices and road closures were lifted September 9. In addition to BNSF’s firefighting train, battling the blaze also required at least 127 engines, 13 bulldozers, two tank-like skidgines, 21 water tenders, six helicopters and two airplanes. Learn more about how BNSF helped fight the Evans Canyon Fire here.
How BNSF Solved Big Engineering Challenges From finding passage through the Rocky Mountains, to building the 7.9-mile Cascade Tunnel, to constructing the Argentine Flyover in Kansas City, BNSF’s engineers have conquered impressive challenges in order to keep trains—and customers’ goods—safely moving. These engineering marvels also played a key role in connecting the country. Without a railroad, fledgling towns in the developing West didn’t stand a chance. Thanks to ingenuity, perseverance, manpower and machines, the railroads arrived. Towns that might have faded away prospered, many becoming bustling cities. Today, that growth—plus demand for faster, safer and more freight rail service—creates new engineering dilemmas that BNSF is ready to tackle. Take a ride through five of BNSF’s most notable engineering wonders from the 1800’s to the present here.
BNSF Successfully Completes Drano Bridge Replacement This month, the 113-year-old Drano Bridge was replaced by a 360-foot-long, 2.7-million-pound steel structure constructed in Vancouver, WA and floated down the Columbia River by barge. With careful planning and the help of about 50 construction workers, the newest bridge on BNSF Railway’s Columbia River Gorge line was installed within 36 hours and is now carrying trains across the entrance channel where Drano Lake connects to the river.
The $15 million project is the latest in a series of bridge replacement projects that BNSF has undertaken for the Gorge line in recent years, including a new bridge last year in Home Valley, about seven miles west of Drano Lake, and another in 2017 at the Washougal River in Camas. Learn more about the Drano Bridge installation here.
Supporting Our Communities
Protecting Land for Recreation and Wildlife
Forterra is a Washington-based nonprofit that enhances, supports, and stewards the region’s most precious resources: its communities and its ecosystems. In its 30-year history, Forterra has helped conserve more than 250,000 acres, with its work stretching from the farmlands and river canyons of Yakima to the estuaries and forests of Washington’s coastline. BNSF Railway Foundation’s $10,000 grant helps protect recreation and wildlife habitat in upper Skykomish.
Giving Foster Kids a Childhood and a Future Supporting more than 8,000 Washington youth in foster care, Treehouse strives to create a world where every child who has experienced foster care has the opportunities and support they need to pursue their dreams and launch successfully into adulthood. The $15,000 grant that Treehouse received from BNSF Railway Foundation goes toward programs that help foster kids successfully graduate and provide continued support after high school until they achieve a degree or credential, living wage and stable housing.
Improving Quality of Life for Blind Children, Youth, and Adults Founded in 2007 and based in Vancouver, WA, Northwest Association for Blind Athletes is a national leader dedicated to improving the quality of life for children, youth and adults through participation in sports and physical activity in communities across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. BNSF Railway Foundation proudly contributed toward the organization’s video resource library which supports athletes, teachers, families and community members with instructional strategies for working with individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Preserving Stevens County History The Stevens County Historical Society gathers, preserves and provides public access to the history and artifacts of Stevens County and surrounding area. The historical society has been working to save a log cabin that served as the Colville Indian Agency in the late 19th century with the goal of using the cabin to interpret the Indian Agency period. BNSF Railway Foundation recently contributed $5,000 to support cultural preservation and improvements at the site.
Emergencies – Call 800-832-5452 To report a vehicle stalled on a crossing, suspicious circumstances, malfunctioning crossing gates and lights, or any other emergency, call 800-832-5452 immediately. Have a Question for Us?
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