The TRANSCAER awards recognize companies for outstanding efforts to ensure the safe transportation of hazardous products. This is the 11th time BNSF has been recognized with the National Achievement Award since 1998. BNSF’s first responder training has helped train more than 60,000 emergency responders over its 32,000 mile network in 28 states.

TRANSCAER member companies train local emergency responders how to prepare for and respond to possible hazardous materials transportation incidents through a combination of hands-on activities, emergency planning assistance and community drills and exercises. The training includes the use of actual rail and truck equipment; table-top exercises, and whistle-stop tours that bring emergency preparedness training to response organizations and educates communities near major rail routes about rail equipment and chemical transportation.

“The safety of our employees and the communities in which we operate are of paramount importance to BNSF,” says Allen Stegman, BNSF general director, environmental and hazardous materials. “We are proud that our efforts have been recognized once again by TRANSCAER. This award highlights BNSF’s continued commitment to work closely with the emergency responder community to ensure safe and efficient responses to transportation incidents.”

“The TRANSCAER awards recognize those companies that have undertaken exceptional efforts to ensure the safe and secure transportation of potentially hazardous products,” said Rollie Shook, Chair of the National TRANSCAER Task Group and Global Emergency Services Leader, Emergency Services & Security Expertise Center for Dow Chemical Co. “BNSF has consistently demonstrated it’s commitment to protect the public and safeguard our communities with a goal of training a minimum of 2,500 emergency responders each year.”

In 2010 BNSF conducted 168 hazardous material training sessions reaching 3,260 emergency responders. These sessions were conducted throughout 18 states including major training tours in California and Montana, as well as special efforts in Utah, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming.

These 76 award-winning companies have successfully implemented the ethics of Product Stewardship under the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care initiative.

“We are honoring these 76 customers because of their commitment and focus to the safe transportation of hazardous materials,” John Lanigan, BNSF executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said at a special presentation at BNSF’s corporate headquarters in Fort Worth. “Our top priority is to ensure safety of our employees, our customer’s shipments, the communities we serve, and the environment.”

Implemented in 1997, BNSF’s Product Stewardship Award is presented to shippers who transported a minimum of 500 loaded tank cars of hazardous materials during the previous year with zero non-accident releases during the entire transportation cycle.

The Toyota Logistics President’s Award is given to one railroad with the highest combined scores in quality, customer support and on-time performance, and the On-Time Performance Award for rail transportation recognizes high achievement in service performance. BNSF is a first time recipient of these particular awards; however, Toyota has recognized BNSF in prior years.

“Toyota is very proud of the relationship and exemplary finished vehicle transportation performance that the BNSF has provided over the past year and we look forward to many more to come,” said Lee Hobgood, Toyota corporate vehicle logistics and administration manager.

“We are honored that Toyota has once again recognized the exceptional level of service our employees provide,” said Marc Allen, BNSF assistant vice president, automotive marketing. “The President’s Award is a highly coveted honor that we are especially pleased to receive. BNSF places a high priority on ensuring every vehicle reaches its destination on time and damage-free, and the President’s Award confirms that we are on the right track in meeting this important customer need.”

During 2010, BNSF handled more than 165,000 Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles throughout the United States and Canada. BNSF continues to lead the rail industry in low damage, delivering 99.8 percent of those Toyota vehicles damage-free through quality processes at automotive facilities, as well as BNSF train-handling procedures.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the storms destroyed or damaged more than 13,000 homes across six states; more than 10,000 in Alabama alone. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA,) April 27, 2011, now holds the record for being the deadliest single day for tornadoes since 1925.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people who have lost family members, friends, and homes during this tragic weather event,” said John Ambler president, BNSF Foundation. “We are grateful to be able to provide some assistance to those suffering from this devastating event.”

BNSF’s contribution is being made through the American Red Cross Chisholm Trail Chapter in Fort Worth.

“We are very appreciative of the BNSF Foundation’s generous gift in support of our ongoing relief efforts to assist those torn apart by the recent tornado outbreak in the South,” Chief Executive Officer American Red Cross Chisholm Trail Chapter Patricia Thomson said.

On Sunday April 17 at approximately 6:55 a.m. (CDT), an eastbound BNSF coal train collided with the rear end of a standing BNSF maintenance of way equipment train near Red Oak, Iowa. The accident, which resulted in the death of two railway workers, occurred at milepost 448.3 on the number two track on the Creston subdivision of the BNSF Nebraska Division.

The coal train, designated as C-BTMCNM0-26A, BNSF 9159 East, consisted of 130 loaded coal cars. It weighed 18,529 tons and was 7,122 feet long with two locomotives on the head end and one locomotive on the rear end.

The maintenance of way equipment train, designated as U-BRGCRI5-15G, BNSF 9470 East, consisted of 21 loaded cars and 13 empty cars. It weighed 2,635 tons and was 3,170 feet long with one locomotive on the head end.

As a result of the collision, the two lead locomotives of the coal train along with the first two coal cars derailed.

Seven additional coal cars were damaged in the accident and following the collision, the cab of the lead locomotive caught fire. Both the engineer and conductor in the lead locomotive of the coal train were killed.

With regard to the standing maintenance of way equipment train, nine cars were derailed due to the collision. The two crew members on the locomotive of the maintenance of way equipment train were not injured.

The event recorder and forward facing video camera on the leading locomotive of the coal train were damaged in the collision and subsequent fire. Both recorders were retrieved and are being analyzed at the NTSB’s lab in Washington.

The video camera was too badly damaged to retrieve data.

A preliminary review of the locomotive event recorder data indicates that just before the collision, train speed increased and the throttle was decreased as the train reached the top of a hill west of the accident site. The data also indicates that the speed at impact was 23 mph and that the emergency brakes were not applied before impact.

During the on-scene investigation, NTSB investigators tested the signal system and the undamaged coal cars. The equipment satisfactorily met test criteria. Trains in this area operate on wayside signal indications visible to the crew.

Signal system data indicate that the last signal encountered by the coal train was set at “restricting.” This indication required that the train be prepared to stop short of another train.

The crew of the struck train reported that visibility at the time of the collision was good. Investigators conducted sight distance observations under similar daylight and weather conditions. The observers were able to identify the standing train about 1,376 feet from the point of collision.

As the investigation continues, investigators will review personnel, maintenance and various other records. In addition, crew cell phone records have been subpoenaed and will be reviewed by investigators.

Finally, the NTSB has formed a work group which will examine the crash performance of the leading locomotive where crew members were fatally injured.

Parties to this investigation are the Federal Railroad Administration, the BNSF railroad, Electro Motive Diesel (the manufacturer of the lead locomotive), the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the United Transportation Union.

The new applications – Unit Trace, Switch and Release, Coal Train Tracing and Display Lot Location (DLL) – are now available on the new BNSF mobile website.

“At BNSF we are constantly looking for ways to enhance processes and tools that make doing business with BNSF easier” said John Lanigan, BNSF executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “We are proud to offer our customers some of the most robust mobile functionality in the industry.”

The Unit Trace and Switch and Release applications make equipment management easier and more productive. Customers can manage their shipments remotely by alerting BNSF that they have unloaded a railcar and are ready for BNSF to pick up the empty car. They can also track their shipment while it is on the BNSF network. For coal customers, BNSF offers a specially designed Coal Train Tracing application that tracks entire trains by a specific mine or utility location.

The collision occurred at 7 a.m. on April 17 in McPherson, Iowa.

Early information indicates that a BNSF freight train collided with a standing BNSF maintenance train. Two BNSF employees were killed. Two locomotives and multiple cars derailed as a result of the accident.

Michael Flannigan is serving as the Investigator-in-Charge for the 7-member team from the NTSB.

Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. had asked the board to prevent BNSF from using a rail side emission monitoring system that sought to measure coal dust blowing from the top of coal cars. If a certain emission standard was exceeded, the shipper of the cars would have been subject to unspecified enforcement measures.

The STB acknowledged the safety and maintenance issues brought on by coal dust fouling track ballast. And it found that BNSF may require shippers to take “reasonable measures” to address the problem.

But, the STB Board found the provisions of BNSF’s tariff “not reasonable” given the level of uncertainty and the available methods to control coal dust.

“Under the challenged tariff, the railroad would accept rail cars loaded with coal and then inform coal shippers at a later date whether and to what extent coal dust was released during transport,” the decision said. “In addition, the tariff does not explain what consequences coal shippers would face if they are found to have tendered loaded coal cars to the railroad that subsequently released coal dust during transport. The challenged tariff also does not acknowledge any steps that, if taken by a shipper before coal cars are tendered to the railroad, would guarantee that the shipper would be deemed in compliance with the tariff.”

The decision went on to say, ”Rather than using this decision to define a specific, government-approved approach to the problem at hand, we expect the railroads and their customers will collaborate to develop a solution that guarantees that loaded rail cars are fit for safe travel, while also ensuring that commodity spillage during transport is minimized.”

BNSF also said it plans to spend about $450 million to acquire 227 locomotives and approximately $350 million on freight car and other equipment acquisitions. The program also includes about $300 million for federally mandated positive train control (PTC) and $300 million for terminal, line and intermodal expansion and efficiency projects.

BNSF’s expansion and efficiency projects will be primarily focused on the mid-continent and coal routes to improve velocity and throughput capacity.

“BNSF expects to invest approximately $3.5 billion in 2011 to ensure our infrastructure remains strong and to improve the efficiency of our operations,” said Matthew K. Rose, BNSF chairman and chief executive officer. “As we demonstrated with our capital commitments during one of the deepest recessions in U.S. history, we remain committed to making the necessary investments to maintain and grow the value of our franchise’s capacity and to provide the nation’s supply chain with more efficient freight transportation.”

Cargill Inc. on April 19 filed a three-part complaint against BNSF, alleging that it has violated the Board’s fuel surcharge rules. A month later, BNSF asked that the claims be dismissed.

“Cargill has pointed to no use by BNSF of any form of fuel escalator, index, or other cost adjustment mechanism in its base tariff that contains a fuel cost component,” the STB said in its opinion. “Rather, BNSF states, to the contrary, that ‘[n]ew rates are set from time to time by BNSF without express reference to costs.’”

In concluding an inquiry into railroad fuel surcharge practices, the STB in January 2007 issued a final rule declaring it an unreasonable practice for railroads to compute fuel surcharges in a manner that does not correlate with actual fuel costs for specific rail shipments.

In its decision, the STB prohibited the assessment of fuel surcharges based on a percentage calculation of the base rate charged to freight railroad customers. The decision also prohibits “double-dipping” — applying to the same traffic both a fuel surcharge and a rate increase based on a cost index that includes a fuel component.