Residents oppose BNSF plans for massive intermodal and logistics center near Phoenix

Plan for BNSF logistics center in Arizona

WITTMANN, Ariz. – BNSF Railway held a contentious community meeting this week in Wittmann, Ariz., regarding its proposed $3.2 billion logistics and intermodal hub. The project spans 4,270 acres and would be BNSF’s first to include an intermodal terminal, warehouse and distribution facilities, and rail-served sites for carload and bulk commodity customers. Many residents, particularly […]

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BNSF profits rise as volume and rates increase

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway posted higher profits in the first quarter thanks to a combination of volume growth and pricing gains, corporate parent Berkshire Hathaway announced on Saturday. “The railroad is earning a little more than last year but it’s not earning what it should be earning at the present time,” Berkshire CEO Warren […]

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Class I railroads maintain their optimistic outlooks despite uncertainty over trade and the economy

Train with yellow locomotive on curve through surburan community

Despite mounting uncertainty over tariffs, trade policy, and the economy, most major railroads held firm on their 2025 outlooks — contrasting with a wave of guidance cuts across other industries. Among the five publicly traded Class I railroads, Canadian National, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific kept their guidance intact, while Canadian Pacific Kansas City and […]

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BNSF thins chief dispatcher ranks

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has eliminated 20 chief dispatching positions at its Network Operations Center. “We consolidated some duties to better reflect the flow of traffic on our network,” railroad spokesman Zak Andersen says. “Those affected will return to their previous roles as dispatchers.” Separately, BNSF is seeking to extend a crew district […]

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STB takes up case regarding BNSF access to new Utah short line

WASHINGTON— Federal regulators will determine whether BNSF Railway can use its trackage rights over Union Pacific to reach a new short line railroad in Utah. The Surface Transportation Board yesterday rejected Union Pacific’s request to dismiss the case regarding the Savage Tooele Railroad. Savage held a groundbreaking ceremony in November for the railroad [see “Groundbreaking […]

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Tornado derails BNSF train in Nebraska (updated)

BNSF Railway logo

ASHBY, Neb. — A tornado is being blamed for derailing an empty BNSF coal train on Sunday evening (April 27, 2025) near the town of Ashby, News Channel Nebraska reports. The derailment was reported about 6:27 p.m. CT, and involved the derailment of about 130 cars. The lead locomotive was not affected, and the two […]

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Big Steam and PTC: A Reset Stage

Steam locomotive rounds curve on a rainy day

The rumble of Canadian Pacific’s 4-6-4 Empress No. 2816 and Union Pacific’s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4014 echoed across thousands of miles in 2024. What made these journeys truly remarkable and deserving a brighter spotlight? Both locomotives were equipped with fully compliant, standalone Positive Train Control (PTC) systems. This means they can independently navigate their […]

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BNSF CEO Farmer nominated for American Airlines board

Blonde woman in dark clothing speaking

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines has nominated BNSF Railway CEO Katie Farmer for election to the airline’s board of directors. The board will be elected at the annual meeting of stockholders on June 11. If elected, she will serve on the board’s finance and safety committees. “We are very pleased to nominate Katie to […]

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WalthersMainline HO EMD SD60

Screen capture from product review video showing HO scale diesel in blue and white paint on layout with title bar in lower left corner.

The WalthersMainline HO EMD SD60 is back, this time with new features. Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno uses this six-axle road unit to switch cars on our Winston-Salem Southbound Tar Branch project layout. In addition, he shares a condensed history of the Electro-Motive Division road unit and Oakway Leasing No. 9009; highlights the detail […]

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