FORT WORTH, Texas — Federal regulators this summer questioned whether BNSF Railway would be ready to handle this year’s fall harvest.
Today the railway reported that it carried a record level of agricultural traffic last month, with ag volume and velocity both up 7% from last year.
“We at BNSF are proud to support the American farmer and our country’s supply chain during peak harvest,” Angela Caddell, group vice president of agricultural and energy products, said in a statement. “We carefully plan for harvest, every year, and thank our agricultural producers for trusting us to deploy all our assets to the best of our ability, so we can provide reliable service during this important time of year.”
In July, Surface Transportation Board Chairman Robert E. Primus requested a fall harvest preparation update from BNSF, which he said had struggled to handle the fall harvest in recent years. “I, along with many of your agricultural stakeholders, continue to have grave concerns about BNSF’s ability to adequately serve the anticipated demand, particularly that moving through the Pacific Northwest (PNW) corridor,” Primus wrote in a July 23 letter to BNSF CEO Katie Farmer.
BNSF has adequate crews, locomotives, and capacity to handle the seasonal surge in grain traffic, Farmer wrote in an Aug. 8 letter to the board. But Farmer told Primus that, “I respectfully disagree with your characterization that BNSF struggled to live up to our responsibilities during last year’s harvest.”
Bad weather delayed the harvest and storms in the Pacific Northwest prompted some port terminals to stop loading vessels, both of which created backlogs.
This year the harvest peak is going smoothly, even as the railway handles record ag and intermodal shipments.
“Our team of talented, dedicated railroaders have remained laser-focused on doing our part to ensure the U.S. agricultural community has an efficient and effective supply chain,” Craig Morehouse, BNSF’s vice president of transportation for its North Region, said in a statement. “Our goal remains the same: For every train to reach its destination safely and on time. Thanks to our entire BNSF team for their coordinated efforts this successful harvest season.”
BNSF handles more agricultural product shipments than any other U.S. railroad.
