MONTROSE, Iowa — A collision between a BNSF Railway train and a barge sent coal hoppers and diesel fuel into the Mississippi River on Saturday night, the Burlington Hawk Eye reported. The barge was parked along the shore of the river in a position that left the nose of the barge extending over the adjacent […]
Railroad: BNSF
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Lawsuit blames BNSF for death because of blocked grade crossing
NOBLE, Okla. — An Oklahoma family has filed suit against BNSF Railway, saying the railway is at fault for the death of a family member, who died of a heart attack when emergency vehicles were unable to respond because a stopped train blocked the only entrance to their street. KFOR-TV reports Larry Gene Byrd died […]
Analysis: Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger has all the right stuff
The proposed merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern – the first combination of Class I systems in two decades, and likely the last – should win favor in Washington. After all, their comprehensive merger application checks all of the Surface Transportation Board’s boxes. More rail competition? Canadian Pacific Kansas City has that in […]
Norfolk Southern warns that COVID-19 vaccine mandate poses risks to service (updated)
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern CEO Jim Squires warned today that the railroad’s train crew shortages may be exacerbated by the federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate that takes effect on Dec. 8. Like CSX Transportation, NS is experiencing higher than normal attrition among its train crews and is having trouble hiring new conductors due to the […]
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 […]
Big Skies & Iron Rails, Overland Edition, Part 2
Our intrepid rail adventurer and son put his Toyota 4×4 truck to the test. Getting trackside isn’t always easy, but Tom and Charlie show how the effort pays off with good times and great shots on land and water! […]
Big Skies & Iron Rails, Overland Edition, Part 2
Our intrepid rail adventurer and son put his Toyota 4×4 truck to the test. Getting trackside isn’t always easy, but Tom and Charlie show how the effort pays off with good times and great shots on land and water! […]
BNSF to activate trackage rights over Union Pacific in Missouri to reach power plant
WASHINGTON – BNSF Railway will gain trackage rights over a short stretch of Union Pacific’s Jefferson City Subdivision in Missouri to begin serving a power plant 45 miles west of St. Louis. The 11.5 miles of trackage rights will allow BNSF to deliver coal trains from the Powder River Basin to Ameren’s power plant in Labadie, […]
CP train operating without functioning PTC at center of three-train collision in Minnesota
WASHINGTON — A Canadian Pacific train operating without functioning positive train control triggered August’s three-railroad, three-train collision in St. Paul, Minn., according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The preliminary report, released Wednesday, lays out basic facts of the accident but does not draw any conclusions or recommend any actions. The […]