TOPOCK, Ariz. — BNSF Railway has reopened its Southern Transcon main line near the Arizona-California state line following a Wednesday derailment, the railroad said in a customer advisory today (Saturday, March 18). That derailment occurred about 7:40 p.m. Wednesday near Topock, about 11 miles southeast of Needles, Calif., on the Seligman Subdivision. It involved eight […]
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway has reached a paid sick time agreement with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, the railroad announced today. BNSF said the deal was part of larger ongoing discussions about modernizing the work environment. Seven of BNSF’s 12 labor unions are now covered by paid sick leave agreements. Building upon existing […]
EVERETT, Wash. — BNSF Railway on Thursday, March 16, delivered two Boeing 737 Max 8 fuselages to the aircraft manufacturer’s Everett Plant, the first such delivery up the Boeing Plant Spur, which features a 5.7% grade and is said to be the steepest active freight line in the U.S. (The line features three derails that […]
ANACORTES, Wash. — Two locomotives and at least one railcar of a BNSF Railway train derailed early Thursday morning near Anacortes, leading to a spill of fuel from the overturned diesels, the Seattle Times reports. No injuries were reported. The railroad said the cause of the derailment was under investigation The Washington Department of Ecology, […]
TOPOCK, Ariz. — Derailed cars of BNSF Railway train that derailed Wednesday night were carrying corn syrup, the railroad reports, correcting initial reports from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office that hazardous materials were on board. CNN reports that BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent told the news network that the derailment occurred about 7:40 p.m. near the […]
WASCO, Calif. — BNSF has reopened its main line on the Bakersfield Subdivision in the San Joaquin Valley, the railroad reports in a service update to customers. The route, closed since approximately 1:30 p.m. PST on Saturday because of a washout, was reopened at 12:07 a.m. PDT today (Monday, March 13). There was no immediate […]
WASCO, Calif. — BNSF’s main line on the Bakersfield Subdivision in the San Joaquin Valley has been closed by a washout, the railroad informed customers in an advisory on Saturday. The washout was reported about 1:30 p.m. PST near Wasco, about 27 miles northwest of Bakersfield. BNSF’s initial estimate to reopen the route between Bakersfield […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has reached paid sick time agreements with three more unions. The railway said today that it reached agreements with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW); the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS); and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical and Engineering Department […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today approved Montana Rail Link’s plan to terminate its lease with BNSF Railway, paving the way for BNSF to regain control of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Although the STB’s decision is effective on April 7, the date for BNSF to […]
WASHINGTON — A group of unions announced today (Tuesday, March 7) that they have filed suit against BNSF Railway over outsourcing of locomotive inspections, maintenance, and repairs, claiming the railroad is cutting its mechanical workforce to boost profits and failing to act in good faith under its existing labor agreements. The suit by the International […]
BISMARCK — North Dakota’s Attorney General said during a State Historical Board Friday that BNSF Railway owns the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge, the first time the attorney general’s office has weighed in on the ownership issue contested by a group that wants to preserve the 140-year-old bridge, which BNSF wants to replace. The Bismarck Tribune reports […]
Jeff Schmid was an unusually versatile railroader. Over more than a half a century with BNSF and two of its predecessor railroads, he moved from track worker to locomotive engineer to safety officer, the latter bringing him special satisfaction. If that wasn’t enough, along the way he mastered the art and craft of running one […]
