CHICAGO — A federal judge has brushed off efforts by Cicero, Ill., to block a BNSF Railway lawsuit over a $1 million increase in sewer rates, saying the ordinance targeted at the railroad’s yard “does not simply impact railroads — it effectively holds them hostage.” The Cook County Record reports that U.S. District Judge Steven […]
Railroad: BNSF
Jury says truck driver, BNSF engineer equally at fault in Minnesota collision
MONTEVIDEO, Minn. — A Minnesota jury has found a truck driver and BNSF locomotive engineer equally negligent in a suit brought by the engineer over a 2017 collision near Maynard, Minn. The West Central Tribune reports the jury in Chippewa County attributed 45% of the negligence in the accident to engineer William Schmitz, 45% to […]
Metra to add trains on BNSF line
CHICAGO — Metra will make major changes to the weekday schedule on the BNSF line, historically its most-used route, with a net increase from 86 to 91 trains as the route moves closer to its pre-pandemic level. The new schedule, effective March 28, will include four new trains, restoration of three trains dropped in November […]
Union says BNSF, Norfolk Southern have declared impasse in crew-size negotiations
CLEVELAND, Ohio — BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern have declared an impasse in negotiations with unions over crew size, one of the unions has informed its members. The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division told its members that the two railroads declared the impasse under Section 6 of the Railway […]
BNSF, J.B. Hunt to expand intermodal capacity
FORT WORTH, Tex. — Longtime partners BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt today said they will significantly boost intermodal capacity in the next few years by adding containers, chassis, and well cars while expanding terminals and their capabilities. “Over the past few years, intermodal has been disrupted by increased demand and tight capacity, resulting in poor […]
Railroads and shippers argue over reciprocal switching proposal
WASHINGTON — Railroads and shipper groups squared off over a proposed reciprocal switching rule during a daylong Surface Transportation Board hearing on Tuesday, with railroads warning of dire operational consequences and sole-served shippers saying they needed relief from high rates and poor service. Federal regulators seemed sympathetic to shippers’ concerns but grappled with how they […]
BNSF calls preservation group’s claim state owns North Dakota bridge ‘absurd’
BISMARCK, N.D. — BNSF Railway has blasted a preservation group’s claim that a railroad bridge over the Missouri River belongs to the state of North Dakota, rather than the railroad, as “legally absurd,” asking the U.S. Coast Guard to move forward with the permit process for a replacement bridge. The Bismarck Tribune reports the railroad […]
State won’t enter dispute over ownership of North Dakota bridge
BISMARCK, N.D. — The state of North Dakota will not become involved in a claim that the state owns a BNSF rail bridge slated for replacement, leading the preservation group that made the contention to say it is “shocked” by the decision. The Bismarck Tribune reports the Friends of the Rail Bridge group seeks to […]
Analysis: No deal-breakers emerge from barrage of comments about CP-KCS merger
Bash Canadian Pacific Kansas City Day – otherwise known as Feb. 28, the deadline for comments on the CP-Kansas City Southern merger – has come and gone. What have we learned from the flurry of regulatory filings from other railroads, shippers, and lineside communities? The Class I railroads behaved like you’d expect: Following a tradition […]
Ask MR: What does an air repeater car do?
Q: While browsing a railcar photo site, I came across an interesting Burlington Northern car. The photo’s caption calls it an “air repeater car.” What is its intended purpose? Where is it mainly used? – Tom Huffman, Fort Worth, Texas A: An air repeater car is used to keep up the pressure in brake air […]
Preservation group claims state owns aging North Dakota rail bridge BNSF seeks to replace
BISMARCK, N.D. — In a new twist to a lengthy battle by a preservation group to save a BNSF Railway bridge over the Missouri River between Bismarck and Mandan, N.D. — which has thwarted railroad efforts to build a new structure — the Friends of the Rail Bridge is claiming the bridge in question actually […]
BNSF Railway paid around $2 billion to buy out Montana Rail Link lease
FORT WORTH – Analysts and industry observers suspected that BNSF Railway had to pay a pretty penny to buy out Montana Rail Link’s long-term lease on the former Northern Pacific main line. It turns out they were right. BNSF’s financial report suggests the railroad paid MRL around $2 billion to tear up the lease well […]