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BNSF

BNSF Receives Working for Clean Air Award

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. was recognized last week as a Clean Air Champion by the North Texas Clean Air Coalition. The Working for Clean Air awards publicly recognize civic-minded businesses that have developed internal corporate programs to improve the quality of air, quality of life, and the health of the north Texas community. “BNSF is committed to operating in a way that protects the environment, our employees, our communities and the economy overall,” said Mark Schulze, vice president, Training and Operations Support. “I am proud that BNSF has been recognized for its green efforts at our corporate

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BNSF

BNSF, BLET Reach Tentative Agreement

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. announced it has reached a tentative agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to settle wage and work rule matters concerning BNSF’s locomotive engineers for the major round of collective bargaining that will begin Jan. 1, 2010. The agreement will settle wage and work rule issues through Dec. 31, 2014. Health and welfare issues, however, will be addressed in upcoming industry-wide negotiations. BLET will release details of the new agreement to its membership as part of the ratification process. However, the agreement affords a general wage increase in each year of

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BNSF

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results

FORT WORTH, Texas — Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. reported quarterly earnings of $1.42 per diluted share, which included a $0.06 per share impact related to a favorable coal rate case adjustment. This compared to third-quarter 2008 earnings of $1.99 per diluted share. “During the recession, BNSF has demonstrated significant operating leverage through ongoing dedication to controlling costs and productivity improvements,” said Matthew K. Rose, BNSF Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “The combination of our significant operating leverage and long-term market opportunities places BNSF in a strong position when the economy recovers.” Third-quarter 2009 freight revenues decreased $1.28 billion,

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Key Customers Get Advance Look at BNSF’s Expanded Memphis Intermodal Facility

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Company on Oct. 6 opened its Memphis Intermodal Facility for an advance look by members of its customer advisory board. The more than $200 million expansion is in its final phases of work. When fully operational in 2010, the expanded facility will have double the capacity, reduce emissions and improve air quality. The BNSF Memphis Intermodal Facility spans 185 acres and will have the capacity to handle 1 million lifts per year at full build out. The facility is equipped with eight wide-span, electric, rail-mounted gantry cranes. These cranes produce zero emissions on site

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BNSF

NTSB Releases Info on Fatal Iowa Wreck

WASHINGTON — In its continuing investigation of a freight train accident in July in Iowa, killing two, the NTSB has developed the following factual information: — At approximately 2:08 a.m. CDT on July 14, 2009, a southbound Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DME) train consisting of two locomotives and 83 freight cars collided with railcars that had been placed on a track on the west side of the Bettendorf rail yard (located in the city of Bettendorf, Iowa) by a BNSF train crew. Both of the crewmembers on the DME train, an engineer and a conductor, were fatally injured in

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BNSF

BNSF Burlington Bridge Upgrade Work Begins

FORT WORTH, Texas — Work has started to replace BNSF Railway’s 118-year-old swing span over the Mississippi River at Burlington, Iowa, with a modern lift span that will increase the river channel width from 150 feet to 307 feet 6 inches. The $70 million project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2011. Construction of the lift span is being financed in part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and previous year appropriations under the Truman-Hobbs Act, which provides federal funds for the alteration of bridges found to be unreasonably obstructive to navigation. The Truman-Hobbs Bridge

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AAR Reports Rail Traffic Continues to Register Gains

WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported that rail traffic continues to register incremental gains on a week-to-week basis, but remains down year over year. Rail carloadings were at their highest level since the week ended Dec. 13, 2008. For the week ended Aug. 29, 2009, U.S. railroads reported originating 285,580 cars, down 16.2 percent compared with the same week in 2008. Regionally, carloadings were down 16 percent in the West and 16.6 percent in the East. Intermodal traffic of 202,553 trailers or containers on U.S. railroads was down 15.6 percent from the same week last year. Container

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BNSF

BNSF Names Bischler Vice President, Chief Sourcing Officer; Piggott Vice President Planning & Studies and Controller

FORT WORTH, Texas — Paul Bischler has been named vice president and chief sourcing officer, responsible for BNSF Railway Company’s sourcing efforts, effective Oct. 1. He will report to Carl Ice, executive vice president and chief operations officer. Bischler succeeds Dennis Johnson who will leave the company on Sept. 30 to dedicate more time to family and other personal interests. Julie Piggott, previously vice president finance and treasurer, will succeed Bischler and assume the role of vice president planning & studies and controller. She will report to Tom Hund, executive vice president and chief financial officer. Piggott will also have