Railroad News

BNSF Railway Co. is moving strong volumes throughout its network during the late portion of the peak season, according to a customer letter issued by the Class I Dec. 21.

Volume in the week ending Dec. 15 increased slightly over the prior week and represented a new year-to-date high at nearly 216,500 units, BNSF officials wrote in the letter. Year-to-date volume through that week totaling 10.3 million carloads and intermodal units exceeded the full-year volume in each of the past 11 years, they said.

The City Council of Willmar, Minnesota, this week unanimously approved master agreements for the Willmar Wye rail project.

The project is a public-private partnership between BNSF Railway Co., the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Kandiyohi County and the city of Willmar to build a new rail line bypass on the city's west side.

BNSF Railway Co. yesterday issued its latest corporate responsibility and sustainability report, which highlights the railroad’s progress in 2017 on implementing sustainable practices, engaging employees and connecting with communities.

The Class I used Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 Guidelines — a globally recognized reporting framework for environmental, social and governance performance — to relay its most vital sustainability-related issues, BNSF officials said in a press release. The Class I last year conducted a materiality assessment to help guide the development of the report, seeking feedback from numerous internal and external stakeholders on the most impactful areas associated with operating in a safe, responsible and sustainable manner.

The U.S. Coast Guard is soliciting public comments on BNSF Railway Co.'s plans to build a movable rail bridge across Salmon Bay west of the Ballard Locks in Seattle.

The proposed structure would replace an existing bascule bridge that spans the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The bridge is a critical link to BNSF's network to the north, south and east, according to the Class I’s "Inside Track" newsletter. Thirty to 40 trains cross the century-old bridge daily, including Sounder and Amtrak passenger trains.

BNSF Railway Co. and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District have been preliminarily awarded a $22.6 million grant from the California Air Resource Board to pilot emissions-reducing technologies in and around rail yards.

BNSF will collaborate with industry partners to test the feasibility of the technologies, company officials said in a press release.

Matthew Rose will step down as executive chairman and retire from BNSF Railway Co. in April 2019, the company announced today.

When he retires, Rose will have been executive chairman for six years and BNSF chief executive officer for the prior 13 years. He also served in senior leadership for marketing and operations before assuming the CEO role in 2000.

The Hoffman Team has been selected as the design-build "best value proposer" for the road portion of the Willmar Rail Connector and Industrial Access Project, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) announced this week.

Known as Willmar Wye, the project is a public-private partnership between BNSF Railway Co., MnDOT, Kandiyohi County and the city of Willmar to build a new rail line bypass on the city's west side.

American Honda Motor Co. recently honored BNSF Railway Co. with the auto manufacturer's Premier Partner Award for excellence in transportation.

The Class I was among 15 of Honda's suppliers to receive the award. BNSF was recognized for "efficient and reliable railway transport of finished vehicles," according to a BNSF press release.

BNSF Railway Co. has awarded its "Certified Sites" designation to three new industrial locations in Oklahoma, Montana and Saskatchewan.

The program identifies optimal rail-served sites for customer development along the Class I's network. To be considered for the designation, sites must undergo a thorough analysis that includes an evaluation of environmental and geotechnical standards, available utilities and site availability.

BNSF Railway Co. yesterday unveiled its newest logistics center during an event held in Moore, Oklahoma, for customers, local officials and residents.

Located within the city limits of Oklahoma City and Moore, Logistics Center Oklahoma City is designed to accommodate manifest and unit trains, and store freight. The facility can handle up to four manifest and two unit trains at a time.

BNSF Railway Co. reported second-quarter net income rose 37 percent to $1.3 billion and total revenue climbed 12 percent to nearly $5.9 billion compared with the same quarter a year ago.

The Class I attributed the revenue growth to a 5 percent increase in unit volume, according to a performance summary posted on BNSF's website.

The Port of Portland is continuing its Terminal 6 service with BNSF Railway Co. through mid-2019, as part of a larger focus to increase options to shippers at Terminal 6, port officials announced this week.

The intermodal rail service, which began in January, moves containers by rail between Portland and the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. Goods are loaded from rail on or off ocean carriers, with three carriers using the service in Washington, port officials said in a press release.

BNSF Railway Co. has certified the Ceres Global Ag Corp.'s terminal site for development in Northgate, Saskatchewan.

The goal of the Class I's certification program is to identify business parks, logistics centers and other rail-served sites in its network that have a high potential for development.

BNSF Railway Co. reported first-quarter 2018 total revenue rose 8 percent to $5.6 billion from $5.2 billion a year ago as a result of a 5 percent increase in unit volume.

First-quarter net income net income soared 37 percent to $1.1 billion from $838 million a year ago, while operating income climbed 11 percent to $1.7 billion from $1.6 billion, BNSF reported in a Q1 financial performance summary.

INFORMS recently honored BNSF Railway Co. with an award for pioneering and integrating operations research and analytics programs into its organization.

An international association for operations research and analytics professionals and students, INFORMS presents the award annually to recognize effective integration of operations research into organizational decision-making.

BNSF Railway Co. recently recognized its 2017 Employees of the Year at an awards ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas.

This year, the Class I recognized 73 of its 41,000 workers for individual and team achievements, BNSF officials said in a press release.

BNSF Railway Co. has filed an application to construct a second train bridge next to and west of an existing train bridge across Lake Pend Oreille and Sand Creek in Idaho.

The Idaho Department of Lands has scheduled public hearings on the application for May 23, according to a department press release.

BNSF Railway Co. has planned $230 million in capital expenditures this year to expand capacity and perform scheduled maintenance work in California.

BNSF, which operates a 2,000-mile network in California, will install additional production track and new lift equipment at the Los Angeles Intermodal Facility, and extend the existing north lead track to improve switching capability at the Stockton Intermodal Facility.