Winds blamed for BNSF derailment in Oklahoma

ENID, Okla. — High winds are being cited as the cause of a derailment of a BNSF Railway intermodal train near Enid on Wednesday. KWTV reports the accident occurred about 1 p.m., and reports 21 cars carrying a total of 32 containers derailed. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation. The Weather […]

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UP, BNSF, NS halt vaccine mandates

Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, and Norfolk Southern say they have suspended their COVID-19 vaccination mandate following a Tuesday ruling by a federal judge blocked the Biden Administration’s executive order requiring vaccination for federal contractors. Reuters reports that UP said 74% of its 31,000 employees were fully vaccinated as of Dec. 8, and that was still […]

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Rail unions seek to block BNSF, Metra vaccine mandates

CLEVELAND — Two major rail unions are seeking preliminary injunctions against BNSF Railway and Chicago’s Metra to block vaccination mandates and require negotiations over the issue. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) announced the filings Dec. 3. In a joint statement, […]

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BNSF trains collide near Omaha

PACIFIC JUNCTION, Iowa — Two crew members are reported to have been injured in a Friday morning collision of two BNSF Railway trains at Pacific Junction, about 18 miles south of Omaha, Neb. BNSF reports an empty coal train hit the back of a mixed freight train at about 7 a.m. local time, derailing the […]

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BNSF and CN raise issues over CP-KCS merger

WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway and Canadian National have raised issues with federal regulators’ timeline for review of the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger. BNSF, in a filing posted today on the Surface Transportation Board’s website, said the 90-day comment period was insufficient given the ramifications of how the merger would affect traffic moving between […]

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BNSF Railway announces vaccination mandate (updated)

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has become the third Class I railroad to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for workers, citing the Biden Administration’s executive order requiring vaccinations for federal contractors. “While we maintain the decision to be vaccinated for COVID-19 is a personal one — and have encouraged employees to make the decision that is […]

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BNSF quarterly earnings improve on volume, revenue increases

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s third-quarter profits increased on the strength of higher intermodal, industrial products, and coal volume. The railroad’s operating income grew 12%, to $2.6 billion, as revenue increased 12%, to $5.5 billion, BNSF’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday morning. The railroad’s operating ratio improved 0.2 points to 59.5% as […]

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CN names former BNSF official to board of directors (updated)

MONTREAL — Canadian National has named Jo-ann dePass Olsovsky to its board of directors, effective immediately. Olsovsky, 56, is executive vice president and chief information officer at Salesforce, and previously spent 12 years at BNSF Railway as senior vice president and chief information officer. Her BNSF experience included overseeing the railroad’s drone inspection operations for […]

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BNSF to extend container incentive program at two LA facilities

LOS ANGELES — BNSF will extend a weekend incentive program it has been offering at two LA-area intermodal facilities as part of ongoing efforts to address congestion at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The program introduced in September, offering a $50 incentive for oceangoing containers that arrive at its Hobart and Commerce […]

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