BNSF – Page 12 – Railfanning.org

CSXT Employee Named Rail Industry’s Top Environmentalist

April 29, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — A CSX Transportation employee from Jacksonville, Fla., was recently named the railroad industry’s top environmentalist. Michael E. O’Malley, who is assistant chief engineer, facilities, for CSX Transportation in Jacksonville, was one of five railroaders who were nominated to receive the John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award, named after the late Senator from Rhode Island, a strong environmentalist who understood and promoted the environmental advantages of rail transportation. Also honored at the reception was Delaware Senator Thomas Carper, who received the Congressional Chafee Award which annually goes to a member of Congress who, like Senator Chafee, is dedicated to

BNSF Crew Begins Replacing 90,000 Ties in Minnesota and Wisconsin

April 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. dispatched a maintenance crew of 43 people to begin replacing railroad ties between East Winona, Wis., and St. Croix Tower, Minn. The crew is expected to replace more than 1,300 ties a day through July. This maintenance project will cost approximately $10.5 million. “Expanding and maintaining our infrastructure along this stretch of trackage and throughout the system not only allows us to provide customers with efficient and reliable rail service but it also benefits the overall efficiency of America’s supply chain,” said Dave Freeman, BNSF vice president, Engineering. BNSF expects to spend about

BNSF Cuts Intermodal Shipping Time by More than 12 Hours

April 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — In first quarter 2009, BNSF Railway Co. achieved a 12-hour reduction in average transit time for domestic and international intermodal traffic over first quarter 2008. BNSF also improved shipment availability in some lanes by as much as 20 hours. By working with its intermodal partners and leveraging available capacity, BNSF is also achieving as much as 99 percent in door-to-door, on-time deliveries, the company said. “Intermodal performance improvements are a direct result of capital investments and productivity enhancements made over the last several years,” said Steve Branscum, group vice president, BNSF Consumer Products. “BNSF is the

BNSF Named One of the World’s Most Admired Companies

March 23, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. was recently named one of the World’s Most Admired companies for 2009 by Fortune Magazine. Fortune’s World’s Most Admired list is considered the definitive report card on corporate reputations. FORTUNE’s survey partners at Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, started with some 1,400 companies: the FORTUNE 1,000-the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue; non-U.S. companies in Fortune’s Global 500 database with revenues of $10 billion or more; and the top foreign companies operating in the U.S. They then sorted the companies by industry and selected the 15 largest for each international

BNSF and CSX Enhance Container Service to the Southeast

March 19, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. and CSX Intermodal recently expanded their current intermodal container service to include several new locations in the Southeast. BNSF and CSXI will now serve Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; and Miami, Orlando and Tampa, Fla., in addition to current eastern hubs at Atlanta, Ga.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C. “BNSF and CSX expanded their original program because it proved to be very successful for both us and shippers,” said Steve Branscum, group vice president, Consumer Products. “Our combined service is competitive with highway carriers, saves shippers money and reduces fuel consumption for moving freight.

BNSF Crews to Replace Rail Along Southern Transcon Corridor

March 17, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co. is replacing rail along its mainline track between Needles and Verdemont, Calif. Thirty-five BNSF employees will replace more than 14 track miles of rail at the approximate rate of one mile per day through early April. This maintenance of way project will cost about $7 million.”This section of track is part of our southern transcon corridor, BNSF’s premier route between the ports of Southern California and all points in the east, including Logistics Park – Chicago,” said Dave Freeman, BNSF vice president, Engineering. “Approximately 4 million loads moved along that line last year

BNSF’s 2008 Economic Development Efforts Lead to $4 Billion in Investments and 4,000 New Jobs

March 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway Co.’s 2008 economic development efforts were instrumental in the location of 127 new or expanded facilities in communities along BNSF. The development of these facilities resulted in about $4 billion in investments and the creation of more than 4,000 new jobs.For example BNSF’s economic development team assisted a local volunteer business group in Weston County, WY. To revitalize the area, the Weston County Development Board created a plan to build a regional industrial park, the Upton Regional Industrial Site. The 600-acre site is attracting new businesses to the area and will become home to

BNSF Crews to Replace 60,000 Ties in Kansas and Missouri

March 13, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — Beginning this month, BNSF Railway Co. will begin replacing more than 60,000 railroad ties and 11.5 track miles of rail between Fort Scott, Kan., and Springfield, Mo., at an estimated cost of $9 million.”Expanding and maintaining our infrastructure not only allows us to provide customers with efficient and reliable rail service but it also benefits the overall efficiency of America’s supply chain,” said Dave Freeman, BNSF vice president, Engineering. Approximately 150 BNSF employees will work until mid-April on the Fort Scott subdivision. Crews will utilize equipment such as cranes, welders and ballast tampers to replace rail

STB Orders $345M in Rate Relief

February 20, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Boardgranted an estimated $345 million in reparations and rate reductions from the BNSF Railway (BNSF) to Western Fuels Association, Inc. and Basin Electric Power Cooperative Inc. The Utilities had challenged the railroad transportation rates charged by BNSF to haul 8 million tons of coal each year from mines in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin to their electric-generating plant in Moba Junction, Wyo., the STB said. The utility plant is captive to BNSF and provides electricity into grids serving consumers in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, the STB said.

BNSF Railway & J.B. Hunt Celebrate 20 Years of Intermodal Success

February 5, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — Twenty years ago, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. and BNSF predecessor The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company loaded a Hunt trailer onto a railcar and ushered in the modern age of intermodal freight transport. Today, intermodal is one of the most efficient, economic and environmentally friendly ways to move goods. However, 20 years ago, trucks and trains were more competitors than partners. All that changed in 1989 when Santa Fe and J.B. Hunt Transport came together in a move that would lead the industry in innovation. This joint effort started with 150 trailers and